Rwanda’s Regional Vaccine Supply Agency Eyes KEMRI’s Research Partnership

The East African Community Regional Centre of Excellence for Vaccines, Immunization, and Health Supply Chain Management (EAC-RCE-VIHSM) which is housed at the University of Rwanda is in the process of establishing a collaborative relationship with KEMRI to stimulate research within the East African region.

The EAC-RCE-VIHSM senior management team steered by its Director Mr. Stephen Karengera engaged in vital discussions with the KEMRI team on potential areas of partnership in research, vaccine development and capacity building. EAC-RCE-VIHSM is an institution mandated to strengthen health supply chain leadership, professionalize health supply chain management and create a hub from which innovation in health supply chain management can be disseminated, as a result they hope to enjoin hands with KEMRI to partner on strategies that accelerate research.

Speaking during the meeting, Dr. Peter Mwitari who represented the Director General emphasized on the
positive impacts of partnerships embraced by the Institute while complementing the exemplary work done by EAC-RCE-VIHSM to support the East African Community in Vaccine development, “the office of the Director General and the institute at large supports partnerships and I commend you for the great journey that you started as an institution in your own country to supporting East African Community in vaccine development hence an initiative like this one is going to help us think more into vaccine development,” he said.

The meeting provided a platform where representatives exchanged ideas on research best practices and leveraged collective expertise in vaccine research and development. The discussions centered on research priorities, exchange programs equating to training, mentorships and providing hubs for research students to do their practical work and vaccine development to address emerging health threats and address the needs of the African Population.

During their visit to KEMRI. During his presentation of the KEMRI Graduate School, the Ag. Director Research and Capacity Building, Dr. Martin Bundi highlighted on the mandate of the Institute in capacity building and emphasized on partnerships in capacity building and exchange programs offered at the KEMRI Graduate School.

The Director of EAC-RCE-VICHSM, Mr. Karengere, expressed enthusiasm of the KEMRI team noting the areas
of interested partnership such as quality assurance in laboratories and clinical sites, manufacturing and training short courses and the need to sign a working agreement with KEMRI to strengthen the two institution’s working relations.

Present during the meeting were Dr. Muuo Nzou and Dr. James Kimotho who also recognized on the need of collaboration between African Countries to come up with solutions and pool resources in order to identify specific biomarkers for specific ailments and advance research in healthcare.

The team was later taken on a conducted tour to the Centre for Biotechnology, Research and Development, the Production Unit and Pan African laboratories