Prof. Elijah Songok, Ag. DG KEMRI speaks in Nairobi on the critical role of vaccines in combating antimicrobial resistance.
By Maximilla Wafula
NAIROBI, March 27, 2026. As Kenya grapples with a rising tide of drug-resistant "superbugs," a consortium of leading medical experts has issued a clarion call to shift the national strategy from treatment to prevention. Speaking at the launch of a landmark policy brief titled “The Value of Vaccines to Address Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Kenya,” hosted by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), members of a specialized Technical Working Group warned that the country is running out of effective antibiotics. The solution, they argue, lies in a "life-course" approach to vaccination, protecting Kenyans from birth to old age.
Prof. Elijah Songok, Ag. Director General and CEO of
KEMRI characterized AMR as one of the greatest threats to modern medicine. In
Kenya and throughout the continent, AMR is no longer a distant theoretical risk
it is a present reality claiming lives, complicating routine surgeries, and
straining healthcare budgets. The initiative, collaboration between KEMRI and
the One Health Trust (OHT), represented by its president Prof. Ramanan
Laxminarayan, offers evidence-based insights into how vaccines can slow the
evolutionary pressure that creates resistant bacteria.
Dr. Robert Onsare, Head of the Division of Enteric
Pathogens & AMR Research at KEMRI, noted that addressing AMR starts with
preventing infections in the first place. Experts highlighted a chilling
reality: it is far cheaper to prevent an infection through vaccination than to
develop a new antibiotic to treat a resistant one. With Kenya ranking 28th
globally in AMR burden, the cost of treating resistant pneumonia or sepsis is
skyrocketing, often exceeding Sh23, 000 per case a figure Dr. Sylivia Omulo
suggests is a vast underestimate. She warned that bacteria are becoming clever
and mutating, while the medical world is simply recycling old molecules.
While Kenya has made strides in pediatric health, Dr. Marybeth Maritim emphasized that vaccines are not just for children. She advocated for a "life-course" strategy, targeting the elderly and those with comorbidities like diabetes and renal disease. The human cost of vaccine hesitancy is already visible at Kenyatta National Hospital. Dr. Anne-Marie Macharia, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, shared her heartbreak over seeing children lose their lives to measles a disease that should be a memory of the past. She noted that social media misconceptions and myths regarding infertility are fueling dangerous hesitancy. To bridge these gaps, Dr. Christine Chege issued a direct challenge to the National Treasury, urging that immunization become a standalone budget item. She cited systemic barriers, such as vaccine stockouts and understaffed dispensaries, where a single nurse is often expected to handle deliveries and outreach simultaneously. The experts concluded that a "One Health" approach, incorporating animal vaccinations to prevent resistant germs from jumping from livestock to humans, is the only way forward. Ultimately, the message was clear: prevention is not just better than cure; in the face of AMR, it may soon be our only option.
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