Kenya joins International Vaccine Institute as Member State

Kenya has formally joined the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) as a Member State.

President William Ruto announced that IVI has committed to establishing a Country and Project Office in Nairobi, which will serve as the regional headquarters.

The President is currently attending the 2024 South Korea-Africa Summit alongside other African leaders.

“Increased vaccine availability will enhance the delivery of our primary healthcare and disease prevention,” stated Ruto.

Additionally, the office will bolster IVI’s Advancing Vaccine End-to-End Capabilities (AVEC) Africa initiative, in collaboration with the Kenya BioVax Institute.

IVI is a non-profit international organization established in 1997 at the initiative of the United Nations Development Programme to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines for global health.

The organization’s headquarters are in Seoul, Republic of Korea, with a Europe Regional Office in Sweden, a Country Office in Austria, and Collaborating Centers in Ghana, Ethiopia, and Madagascar.

IVI has 39 member countries, including the WHO, and receives state funding from the governments of the Republic of Korea, Sweden, India, Finland, and Thailand.