KSRIC BRITE Meeting (July 29)

Event

Kenya Institute of Primate Research – KIPRE

The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine - LSTM, convened a high-level planning meeting at the Kenya Institute of Primate Research - KIPRE for the Biologics Regional Innovation and Technology Ecosystem (BRITE) Kenya initiative — a strategic effort to transform health research into scalable biologic solutions for Africa. BRITE Kenya connects reciprocal learnings between the UK’s BRITE Programme and Kenya’s science ecosystem to develop products like vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and antivenoms for critical health issues such as infectious diseases, cancer, and antimicrobial resistance. Leading the Kenyan delegation were Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni Muriuki CBS and Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Dr. Ouma Oluga, OGW. The meeting convened key stakeholders—among them the Kenya BioVax Institute Limited, the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), and local universities such as the University of Nairobi and Egerton University—to discuss avenues for collaboration, skills development, and advancing the commercialization of biologics with the aim of developing an operational plan for the BRIGHT Kenya initiative. Kenya Snakebite Research & Intervention Centre received particular recognition for its multidisciplinary research efforts and significant contributions to improving the diagnosis and treatment of snakebite and antivenom development. Its pioneering work in this field continues to earn international acclaim as a key player in advancing regional and global snakebite interventions.

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