Professor Elijah Songok, Acting Director General and CEO of KEMRI, noted the strategic importance of NDM’s KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme: ‘This is one of KEMRI’s flagship research and training programmes, contributing more than 30% of KEMRI’s research output.’
Chris Bird, Chief Legal Officer at Wellcome, stated that Wellcome was proud of the investment it had in Kenya, emphasizing the key role the president had played in getting the agreement signed.
Chris Price, the Divisional Registrar and Chief Operating Officer of the University of Oxford’s Medical Sciences Division, said: ‘Oxford’s mandate is to further learning through teaching and research, and the collaboration with KEMRI is an fantastic example of this in practice.’
Earlier in the week the Government of Kenya hosted a delegation including Professor Irene Tracey, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Professor Richard Cornall, the Head of Department of the Nuffield Department of Medicine, and Julia Gillard, the Chair of the Wellcome Trust Board of Governors, who have been in the country for the celebration of Wellcome’s 60 years of science and research partnership with Kenya and met the President William Ruto yesterday at State House.
This signing marks a continuation of a vibrant collaboration that has resulted in major scientific breakthroughs, including cutting edge research dedicated to fighting malaria, pneumonia, meningitis, HIV and malnutrition; testing of two malaria vaccines; development and testing of the Rift Valley vaccine; support during the COVID 19 pandemic; and generating evidence towards Universal Health Coverage in Kenya and the region.