KEMRI Air Pollution Centre of Excellence Attains International Accreditation

By Stella Njung’e

The Kenya Medical Research Institute’s (KEMRI) Air Pollution Centre of Excellence (APCE) has achieved ISO/ IEC 17025:2017 accreditation. The recognition places the Centre among the few specialised air quality laboratories in Africa that meet the internationally recognised standard for testing and calibration. It also marks a significant milestone in advancing air pollution research and environmental health surveillance across the continent.

The milestone was marked during a certificate handover ceremony held at the KEMRI Centre for Respiratory Diseases Research (CRDR). The ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation certificate was officially presented by the Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS), led by the Chief Manager of Laboratories, Ms. Lucy Namu, who represented the KENAS CEO, Dr. Walter Ongeti.

The certificate was received on behalf of the Ag. Vice Chancellor and Director General, Prof. Elijah Songok, by Ag. Deputy Director of CRDR, Dr. Jane Rahedi Ong’ang’o. She was accompanied by the Director of APCE and Co-Principal Investigator of Clean Air-Africa, Dr. James Mwitari, together with his team.

The centre which is domiciled at CRDR, received accreditation for the gravimetric PM2.5 testing scope, a critical method for measuring fine particulate matter that penetrates deep into the lungs and bloodstream and is associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. This recognition is expected to strengthen the region’s capacity to monitor air quality and generate evidence for public health action.

Speaking during the ceremony, Dr. Ong’ang’o described the achievement as a significant milestone for the institution and the country. “This is a major milestone for us. A lot of work has gone into achieving this accreditation, and we are proud of what has been accomplished through the dedication of our staff, partners and stakeholders,” she said.

She further noted that the accreditation strengthens KEMRI’s capacity to generate credible scientific evidence that can inform public health interventions and influence policy decisions aimed at improving air quality. “With this accreditation, we must go beyond the five countries we currently support and expand our impact across the region. The evidence generated by the Centre will be critical in improving public health, influencing policy and promoting cleaner air for all.” She added. Dr. Ong’ang’o further emphasized the need to continually strengthen the laboratory’s capabilities and expand its services to address emerging environmental health challenges.

Her sentiments were echoed by Ms. Lucy Namu, who commended the Centre’s commitment to ensuring the quality of measurement results and recognized the collective effort, dedication, and shared vision that made the achievement possible.

“Accreditation is essential in ensuring quality, reliability, and confidence in research and laboratory testing. We are excited to continue partnering with KEMRI as it advances scientific research and public health.” She added.

She noted that internationally recognized laboratory standards have played a critical role in strengthening Kenya’s response to public health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, by enhancing confidence among global partners and stakeholders.

The Air Pollution Centre of Excellence was established in 2022 through a collaboration between KEMRI and the University of Liverpool (UoL) under the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Global Health Research Unit, CLEAN-Air (Africa). Since its establishment, the Centre has supported air quality monitoring and research activities across five African countries including Cameroon, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana and Kenya.

Co-Investigator and Director of the Centre, Dr. James Mwitari, fondly reflected on the journey towards accreditation. “This journey began in June 2022, and we are grateful to everyone who has walked with us throughout the process. This marks the beginning and we shall continue to expand our work to ensure we remain at the top” he said.

Dr. Mwitari also noted that the Centre is expanding its environmental health research portfolio to include monitoring of pollutants that affect climate change, such as black carbon and methane, among others.

This achievement is a testament to the dedication, technical expertise and unwavering commitment of the KEMRI–UoL Air Pollution Centre of Excellence (APCE) laboratory team, led by Laboratory Manager Joan Kinya, Laboratory Assistant Virginia Chege and University of Liverpool Senior Data Manager Federico Lorenzetti.

Reflecting on the milestone, Ms. Kinya described the accreditation journey as both challenging and rewarding.

“Reaching this international benchmark has been a remarkable journey, and I extend my sincere gratitude to the entire KEMRI APCE team whose dedication and support made this achievement possible. I am equally grateful to the CLEAN-Air leadership and senior management for their strategic guidance and unwavering support throughout the process,” she said. She further noted that attaining ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation significantly strengthens the Centre’s ability to generate scientifically robust and internationally accepted data.

“This accreditation elevates our capacity to produce credible, defensible evidence that can inform policy and public health action. Through our advanced air pollution monitoring technologies and validated gravimetric analysis systems, we are now better positioned to provide governments, researchers and international agencies with high-quality exposure data. As we look ahead, we are committed to expanding our accredited scope to include additional pollutants and to serving the region as a centre of excellence for environmental testing and air quality research,” she added.

On their part, representatives from the UoL lauded the Centre’s progress and growing international recognition. Director CLEAN-Air (Africa) programme/Professor of Global Public Health and Epidemiology UoL, Prof. Daniel Pope, described the transformation of the facility as remarkable.

“It has been an amazing journey. What started as a store room has evolved into a facility that is now recognised internationally for its high standards in air pollution research and monitoring. We commended KEMRI because they saw the vision and helped make it a reality, ” he said. He added that the Centre has become a flagship facility for both CLEAN-Air (Africa) and the University of Liverpool and presents opportunities for expanded collaborations in ambient air quality monitoring and research.

The accreditation positions the Air Pollution Centre of Excellence among an elite network of internationally accredited laboratories fundamentally strengthening Africa’s capacity to generate trusted scientific evidence on one of the continent’s most pressing environmental health challenges.

As air pollution continues to contribute significantly to illness and premature deaths worldwide, this international benchmark is expected to enhance the Centre’s role in air quality surveillance, research, policy development and efforts to reduce pollution-related health risks across Africa.

The ceremony was attended by officials from KEMRI, KENAS, the University of Liverpool (UoL), CLEAN-Air (Africa), and other partners and key stakeholders involved in advancing air quality research and environmental health across the region.