Kenya and Japan are strengthening cooperation in health technology transfer, local manufacturing of medical commodities, research and development, and advanced training for health professionals.
The partnership aims at building a more self-reliant health sector and expanding access to essential health technologies.
Speaking in Nairobi, Principal Secretary for Medical Services 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) and the national commitment to Universal Health Coverage (UHC), which seeks to ensure all citizens access quality healthcare services without financial hardship.
Dr. 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 highlighted Kenya’s growing health innovation ecosystem, including institutions supporting research, intellectual property protection, and technology development.
The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) continues to play a key role in advancing health research and developing new technologies, while the Government is also investing in vaccine technology transfer through the Kenya BioVax Institute.
It also participating 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.
