Kenya formally joins International Vaccine Institute as Member State

Kenya has formally joined the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) as a Member State.

This strategic partnership aims to enhance vaccine availability, thereby improving the country's primary healthcare delivery and disease prevention efforts.

The accession ceremony took place at the IVI headquarters in Seoul, South Korea.

Those present include President William Ruto, Health CS Susan Nakhumicha and IVI Director-General Jerome Kim.

During the event, IVI pledged to establish a country and project office in Nairobi to serve as the regional headquarters.

"Increased vaccine availability will enhance the delivery of our primary healthcare and disease prevention," Ruto said.

Nakhumicha expressed her enthusiasm for the collaboration.

"Membership to IVI gives Kenya access to a network for vaccines and technology transfer as we build our internal self-reliance through local manufacturing," Nakhumicha stated.

Kim highlighted the importance of this new chapter in the partnership.

"Privileged to sign an MoU between IVI, Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) and Kenya-Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (AIST) Council on the sidelines of the Korea-Africa Summit in Seoul to promote joint vaccine Research and Development for Africa," Kim said.

The International Vaccine Institute, headquartered in Seoul, is a global organisation dedicated to developing and distributing safe, effective, and affordable vaccines for global health.

IVI comprises of a team of biomedical scientists, infectious disease experts, health professionals, and humanitarian leaders.

The institute aims to design and formulate new vaccines, optimise production processes for industrial scale-up, and develop new technologies to support clinical testing of vaccines in humans.

It also conducts research on vaccine safety with a focus on special populations like pregnant women, refugees and internally displaced people.

With Kenya now a member, IVI's network expands, fostering greater collaboration and resource sharing to tackle pressing health challenges.

As Kenya takes this significant step, the focus remains on building a sustainable and self-reliant healthcare system.

"Looking forward to robust collaboration to build capacity and sustainability of African vaccine ecosystem," Kim concluded.

The establishment of the IVI office in Nairobi is expected to commence shortly, with plans already underway to set up the necessary infrastructure and staff.

This initiative heralds a new era of healthcare collaboration, promising a healthier future for Kenya and its neighboring countries.