Kenya Reaffirms Commitment to Manufacture Health Products Locally By Gift Briton The need to expand local manufacturing of health products dominated discussions as the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)’s annual conference kicked off in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital. In her opening remarks at the 14th KEMRI Annual Scientific and Health (KASH) conference, Dr. Susan Nakhumicha, Kenya’s […]

Migratory Species Declining, Action Needed By Sharon Atieno With nearly half of the population of migratory species including fish, birds and other animals declining, there is need for concerted efforts to increase their conservation and protection. This is according to the first-ever State of the World’s Migratory Species report by the Convention on the Conservation […]

WHO Calls for Entrenchment of Best Maternal Care in Hospitals By Gift Briton Facilities providing maternal and newborn care have been urged to implement the guidelines outlined in the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) to reduce infant mortality by improving breastfeeding practices. BFHI is an evidence-based ten steps guideline by the World Health Organization (WHO) and […]

KShs. 3B Grant to Construct Kenya’s Modern Biotechnology Facility By Gift Briton Kenya has received KShs. 3 billion grant from Japan to aid in the construction of a state-of-the-art laboratory facility at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). Kenya’s President William Ruto and Japan’s Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to […]

Kenya to Host 6th UN Environment Assembly By Joyce Ojanji  Kenya is set to host the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA)- the world’s highest-level decision-making body for environment-related matters- in Nairobi from 26th February to 1st March, this year. Themed ‘Effective, inclusive and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity, […]

Unitaid Backs Kenya’s Quest to Become a Regional Pharmaceutical Hub By Gift Briton Unitaid has announced plans to strengthen Kenya’s capacity to locally manufacture pharmaceutical products, including key medicines, tests, and oxygen. Unitaid is a global health partnership, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, that accelerates the delivery of missing treatments to those with unmet needs. Currently, […]

Kenyan Avocado Exporters Urged to Stick to Global Standards By Clifford Akumu Avocado stakeholders have warned producers and exporters to stick to global standards if they are to earn from the high-value fruit following a harvesting suspension that has been in place since October last year. Okisegere Ojepat, the Chief Executive Officer, Fresh Produce Consortium […]

Leave Bats Alone By Sharon Atieno Though bats have been linked to various diseases globally including Ebola, Marburg, Nipah, Hendra, Middle East respiratory coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and COVID-19 among others, human interference in most instances have contributed significantly to these transmissions. Speaking during a Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (MESHA) biodiversity café in Nairobi, […]

Decontamination Plants to Boost Kenya’s Fight against Aflatoxin With aflatoxin, a cancer-causing substance, contaminating grains and posing a serious concern for food safety and trade, Kenya has received two state-of-the-art decontamination plants to deal with the issue. The facilities worth CA$ 1.6 million (approximately Ksh190 million) were handed over to the National Cereals and Produce […]