Kenya has started the process of becoming a member of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI).
Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua handed over a letter of intent to IVI Director-General Jerome Kim at a meeting chaired by President William Ruto in Seoul, South Korea.
President Ruto said Kenya will follow the membership process because there is a lot to gain for the country and the region.
“We want to develop vaccines in Kenya that is why we started the Kenya Biovax Institute as a vehicle for working with other stakeholders and institutions,” he said.
Biovax is a state cooperation tasked with the mandate of manufacturing packaging and commercialization of specialized health products and technologies including vaccines and therapeutics.
Kenya will work with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), IVI and other institutions in the production of pharmaceuticals and development of vaccines.