Kenya joined the Seoul-based International Vaccine Institute (IVI) as an official member. Kenyan President William Ruto, who, along with several other African leaders, is attending the inaugural South Korea-Africa Summit, highlighted the milestone as an opportunity for Kenya to attain self-reliance in vaccine production.
He emphasized that increased vaccine availability would bolster Kenya’s primary healthcare delivery and support disease prevention efforts.
During the ceremony, the IVI announced its plan to establish a country and project office in Nairobi. The move should advance Kenya’s universal health coverage agenda and promote African autonomy in vaccine production. President Ruto highlighted a tripartite agreement between the IVI, Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, which will contribute to cutting-edge research, training, and fortifying a resilient healthcare system across the continent.
“In this partnership, we aim to fortify our health systems by ensuring commodity security through research, development, and manufacturing,” President Ruto affirmed, underscoring the collaborative effort’s potential to enhance Africa’s healthcare landscape.
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) works to improve universal access to affordable vaccines. Through close collaboration with the global scientific community, public health organizations, governments, and industry partners, IVI is actively involved in all aspects of the vaccine lifecycle. This encompasses groundbreaking vaccine research in laboratories, the progression of vaccine development and evaluation in real-world scenarios, and the promotion of sustainable vaccine adoption in regions with critical needs.
