KEMRI’s KSh 516 Million Initiative  to Boost Women’s Health Research in Africa

By Bulletin Writer

The Institute has announced a KSh 516 million (USD 4 million) initiative to accelerate innovation and leadership in women’s health research across Africa.

The three-year programme, christened, “Leadership for Innovation and Excellence in Accelerating Research on Women’s Health (LEA-WH)”, is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and will kick off in January 2026.

The flagship initiative seeks to strengthen Africa’s capacity for women-led research by mentoring and equipping the next generation of scientists and innovators to design homegrown solutions to the continent’s most pressing health challenges.

“The LEA-WH Programme represents KEMRI’s commitment to building scientific leadership that is inclusive, innovative, and African-led,” said Ag. Director General, Prof. Elijah Songok in a press statement released on Saturday, 11^th, October 2025 and added, “by empowering scientists to lead groundbreaking research, we are investing in the future of Africa’s health and development.”

Sub-Saharan Africa bears a heavy burden of women’s health conditions that are often under-studied and under-funded. LEA-WH will bridge this gap by supporting locally driven research, scalable innovations, and policies that promote evidence-based decision-making.

By 2033, the programme aims to bring 5–10 innovative products to market testing, support 5–10 startups, facilitate 5–10 patent applications, enable 20–50% of fellows to secure research grants, and attract up to USD 5 million in follow-on funding.

Through this prorgamme, the Institute will also host an annual ScienceX Africa Summit, creating a continental platform for collaboration, mentorship, and knowledge exchange.

“Our vision is to cultivate a vibrant ecosystem where African researchers and innovators lead in developing transformative solutions for women’s health,” said LEA-WH Programme Director, Prof. Elizabeth Anne Bukusi.

The programme will be implemented in collaboration with the US National Academy of Medicine, and guided by the LEA-WH Advisory Council, chaired by Prof. Songok.

The leadership team includes Prof. Bukusi, Dr. Martin Bundi (Curriculum Development), Prof. Nelly Mugo (Research & Development and Technical Training), and Dr. Rose Bosire (Leadership Development).

There is no doubt that the LEA-WH initiative positions KEMRI as a regional hub for medical research excellence and a driver of African-led innovation that champions gender equity and sustainable health development across the continent.