President William Ruto has announced that Kenya has officially joined the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) as a member state.
In a statement on Wednesday, June 5, the Head of State noted that the move was a major step towards the nation's ambition to attain self-reliance in vaccine production.
"Kenya has formally joined the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) as a Member State, strengthening our country's resolve to achieve self-reliance in vaccine production," President Ruto posted on X.
"Increased vaccine availability will enhance the delivery of our primary healthcare and disease prevention," he added.
The president further intimated that IVI was committed to establishing a country and project office in Nairobi, which will be the regional headquarters.
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IVI is a nonprofit international organization established in 1997 as an initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the aim of developing and delivering safe, effective, and affordable vaccines for global public health.
It has 39 member states spread across Asia, Europe, South America, and Africa.
In Africa, the member states of IVI are Egypt, Rwanda, Liberia, and Senegal.
IVI is headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea, where President Ruto is currently attending the Korea-Africa Summit along with other African Heads of State.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the Korea-Africa Summit, Kenya has already secured $238 million (KSh31 billion) funding for the Konza Digital Media City project from the Korea Exim Bank.
President Ruto said the financing from the Korea Exim Bank was a clear signal of cordial and deep ties between Kenya and the Republic of Korea.
