The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) has announced a Ksh516 million flagship project that aims to elevate women's health research on the continent.
In a statement on Saturday, September 11, the institute said that the three-year Gates Foundation-funded programme, dubbed LEA-WH, will kickstart in January 2026.
According to KEMRI Director General, Elijah Songok, the project aims to empower scientists, researchers, and innovators to explore solutions and strategies to curb women’s health conditions that remain understudied and underfunded on the continent.
“The LEA-WH Programme represents KEMRI’s continued commitment to building scientific leadership that is inclusive, innovative, and African-led. By empowering scientists to lead groundbreaking research and innovation, we are investing in the future of Africa’s health and development,” Songok said.
"The three-year flagship Programme will strengthen Africa’s research leadership in women’s health by equipping and mentoring a new generation of African scientists, researchers, and innovators to develop groundbreaking, locally driven solutions to health challenges that disproportionately affect women," he added.
By 2033, the project aims to have introduced up to 10 medical products for market testing, up to 10 startup companies, and also facilitate 5-10 patent applications.
Additionally, the institute noted that the programme aims to give research grants to up to 50 percent of the programme scholars as well as mobilising up to Ksh600 million in follow-on funding.
In addition, the programme will establish a continental alumni network, a sustainable replication model, and foster an innovation policy ecosystem to promote evidence-based decision-making," the statement read.
"An annual ScienceX Africa Summit will serve as a platform for collaboration, mentorship, and knowledge exchange among emerging and established leaders in health innovation. The Programme will work closely with the United States National Academy of Medicine to implement this Fellowship," it added.
The announcement comes weeks after the Ministry of Health launched an expanded Polio Laboratory at the Centre for Virus Research (CVR) at KEMRI, which will be used for Polio diagnostics and surveillance in Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Comoros.
Speaking during the launch of the lab on Tuesday, September 16, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said that the lab will also be used for genomic sequencing 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.
