The Ministry of Health has launched an expanded Polio Laboratory at the Centre for Virus Research (CVR), Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), which is expected to serve four countries.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, who launched the lab on Tuesday, September 16, confirmed that it will be primarily used for polio diagnostics and surveillance in Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Comoros.
According to Duale, the lab will also reduce the country's reliance on external help in genomic sequencing, which is the process of reading and understanding the order of the chemical bases in an organism's DNA, during potential disease outbreaks of other diseases such as Mpox, measles, rubella, and enteric viruses.
The establishment of the lab was backed by the Gates Foundation, eHealth Africa, and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
"This lab is one of its kind in our region because it will help us reduce our reliance on external labs in other countries, such as South Africa, where the tests used to be sent," Duale stated.
"This lab will provide our scientists in KEMRI with a platform for innovation and research, and it will turn Kenya into its ambitious programme to be a continental health science lab," he added.
In Kenya and Africa at large, a lack of adequate medical laboratory infrastructure has for decades been a significant predicament in the healthcare system, in turn hindering effective disease diagnosis and research.
This gap contributes to understaffing, the use of low-quality diagnostics, and challenges in medical data management, all of which drag progress in combating diseases and improving healthcare delivery, especially in rural areas.
Last year, the Global Young Academy report, which surveyed young African researchers, revealed that 80 per cent of respondents considered leaving Africa due to these challenges, with 60 per cent contemplating career changes.
The report, ‘The Global State of Young Scientists (GloSYS) Africa’, highlighted the urgent need for increased funding and investment in medical research infrastructure and funding on the continent.
According to Duale, the establishment will not only play a key role in promoting Universal Healthcare Coverage, but will also unlock the economic potential of the healthcare system by securing jobs for unemployed medical researchers.
"Today’s inauguration reaffirms Kenya’s commitment to finish the fight against polio while building stronger, resilient health systems under Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The lab aligns with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) for Health by expanding access to essential services, especially at the grassroots," Duale stated.
