Kenya, Japan deepen cooperation on health tech transfer and local medical manufacturing

Speaking in Nairobi, Medical Services Principal Secretary Dr Ouma Oluga said Kenya’s push to increase local production of health commodities aligns with the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

The push also aligns with the national commitment to Universal Health Coverage (UHC), which seeks to ensure all citizens can access quality healthcare without financial hardship.

Oluga made the remarks while hosting the Second Kenya–Japan Health Sector Joint Technical Working Group Meeting at Afya House, which brought together officials from the Ministry of Health and a Japanese delegation led by Ambassador Matsuura Hiroshi.

Discussions also highlighted Kenya’s growing health innovation ecosystem, including institutions supporting research, intellectual property protection and technology development.

The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) was cited as playing a key role in advancing health research and developing new technologies.

The meeting also noted the government’s investment in vaccine technology transfer through the Kenya BioVax Institute and participation in the global mRNA Technology Transfer Programme coordinated by the World Health Organization and the Medicines Patent Pool. 

The partnership is expected to strengthen Kenya’s health system and contribute to regional health security across Africa.

Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to deepen collaboration through joint research, specialised training, and expanded pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity to support resilient and sustainable health systems.