Preparations are ongoing ahead of the first edition of the Kenya Health Security Convention (KHSC) scheduled for May 5 – 8 in Mombasa.
The event is being organised by the Kenya National Public Health Institute (KNPHI), a Semi Autonomous Government Agency under State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards at the Ministry of Health.
The event themed ‘Advancing Health Security Through Science, Innovation and Equity’ will bring together policymakers, scientists, public health professionals, security experts, healthcare professionals, industry leaders, and other stakeholders to share knowledge, innovations, and strategies for strengthening health systems and enhancing pandemic preparedness and response.
Kenya is actively positioning itself as a leader in public health security in East Africa, shifting from a reactive approach to a prevention-led strategy designed to anticipate and mitigate health threats.
This shift is marked by the strengthening of national surveillance systems, hosting regional health summits, and integrating a One Health approach that links human, animal, and environmental health.
“Looking ahead, the inaugural Kenya Health Security Convention will provide a platform to sustain the momentum of Strategic Investment for Health System Resilience. It will bring together policymakers, scientists, and practitioners to align priorities, share knowledge, and identify practical solutions in a rapidly evolving global health landscape. It will also position Kenya as a convening hub for health security dialogue in the region,” noted CS Aden Duale during the launch of KNPHI key Policy Documents last month.
The Acting Director General of the KNPHI Dr. Kamene Kimenye said the week-long conference will help accelerate research-to-policy translation, promote the adoption of useful innovations, identify priority health gaps and strengthen the partnerships that Kenya needs to protect its people.
“This convention is a national platform for aligning science with policy, counties with national systems, and innovation with equity. It will support universal health coverage, strengthen primary health care, improve resilience and advance broader national goals. A country that invests in health security also invests in productivity, investor confidence, educational continuity and social cohesion,” she affirmed.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health security refers to the proactive and reactive activities necessary to minimize the risk and impact of events that rapidly threaten people’s health. These events typically traverse community, regional and international boundaries, and include disease outbreaks, pandemics and disasters, which always lead to health challenges.
“This conversation on health security is about the country’s ability to detect danger early, act decisively, protect lives and preserve productivity. In a world shaped by climate change, rapid urbanisation, population mobility and evolving pathogens, health security has become inseparable from economic resilience and national stability. Kenya must respond to that reality with urgency,” added Dr. Kamene
Among the key thematic areas of discussion during the meeting will include Strengthening Global Health Security, Innovation for Public Health, Governance and Future-Proofing the Public Health Workforce and Public Health Policy and Action Commitments.
Officially launched in May last year by Health Cabinet Secretary Hon Aden Duale , the KNPHI’s mandate revolves around the coordination of the prevention, surveillance, detection, control and elimination of public health threats.
It is also tasked with ensuring that evidence from routine data, research, and interventions informs policy and advances Universal Health Coverage.
