Kenya is calling for reforms to remove barriers that continue to limit women from taking up leadership roles in Africa’s health research and development systems.
The Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, said there is need to urgently address gaps that affect women in the sector, especially in access to funding, representation, and promotion into senior positions.
She was speaking during a high-level panel discussion titled “Designing Power: Women Leading Africa’s Health R&D Systems” held on the sidelines of the World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2026 in Nairobi.
According to Muthoni, efforts towards ensuring that the health research systems of the continent receive reinforcement could only happen if women are wholly included not only as research subjects but also as policy decision-makers.
It was pointed out that there is currently ongoing work in Kenya that seeks to build an enabling environment for women-led health research initiatives as well as providing additional avenues for involvement within organizations.
The meeting had been organized by key stakeholders involved in the process of health research in Africa including policymakers, innovators, researchers, and development partners. The aim of the meeting was to identify ways through which decision-making capacities within the health research system of the continent could be improved.
The meeting concluded with the participants jointly agreeing on the need for systems that promote equity and inclusivity within the continent’s health research system.
