The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) has announced a Ksh516 million project backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to boost women’s health research across Africa a move expected to strengthen African-led innovation in science and healthcare.
The three-year programme, dubbed Leadership in Excellence for African Women’s Health (LEA-WH), is set to begin in January 2026.
KEMRI Director General Elijah Songok said the project will empower African scientists and innovators to develop practical solutions for women’s health challenges that remain neglected and underfunded.
“The LEA-WH Programme represents KEMRI’s continued commitment to building scientific leadership that is inclusive, innovative, and African-led,” said Songok. “By giving scientists the tools and mentorship they need, we are investing in the future of Africa’s health and development.”
The initiative will train and mentor young researchers while promoting innovations that directly address women’s health needs.
KEMRI aims to develop up to 10 medical products for market testing, support 10 startup companies, and facilitate five to ten patent applications by 2033.
The programme will also offer grants to half of its participating scholars and mobilize an additional Ksh600 million in follow-up funding.
It will establish a continent-wide alumni network and promote a policy environment that supports scientific innovation.
An annual ScienceX Africa Summit will serve as a platform for collaboration and mentorship, bringing together both emerging and established health innovators. The fellowship will be implemented in partnership with the United States National Academy of Medicine.
The announcement follows the recent opening of an expanded Polio Laboratory at KEMRI’s Centre for Virus Research in Nairobi, developed in partnership with the Ministry of Health.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the lab will also handle genomic sequencing during outbreaks of diseases such as Mpox, measles, rubella, and enteric viruses, serving Kenya as well as Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Comoros.
“This lab is one of its kind in the region. It reduces our reliance on foreign facilities for testing something that has delayed critical responses in the past,” Duale said.
The Polio Lab supported by the Gates Foundation, eHealth Africa, and the World Health Organization (WHO) together with the new women’s health research programme, highlights Kenya’s growing leadership in health innovation and research on the continent.
