Nakhumicha
Kenya on Tuesday lost its bid to host the Africa regional office of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) after Rwanda emerged victorious.
The global vaccine body said that it had found an excellent home in Kigali and has the full backing of the country’s Ministry of Health and the University of Rwanda, which is considered to be a critical technical partner.
“We are thrilled to announce the decision to establish IVI’s Africa regional Office in Rwanda. This new office will play a pivotal role in providing on-the-ground support and leadership for IVI’s work in Africa,” IVI Director-General Jerome Kim said in a statement.
Welcoming the announcement, Rwandan Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana said Rwanda is leaping to bridge the vaccine equity gap on the African continent by venturing into local production of vaccines.
He noted that hosting the IVI Africa Regional office is yet another milestone towards a resilient Africa concerning potential public health emergencies and we are honored to serve as its host.
The development came a week after Kenyan Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha notified the Parliamentary Committee on Health that Kenya had won the bid to host the headquarters after a rigorous selection process.
It has now been shown that the Kenyan minister prematurely stated and misled the August House before the final judgment was formally made by the Seoul-based international non-profit organization.
President William Ruto praised the nation’s efforts to become self-sufficient in vaccine production at a meeting with Kim last year.
Nairobi’s process of joining the body began in November 2022, when then-Foreign Minister Alfred Mutua sent over a letter of intent to Kim at a meeting hosted by President Ruto in Seoul, South Korea.
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