Kenya to host East Africa global health security summit
Kenya is set to host the inaugural East Africa Region Global Health Security Summit (EARGHSS) from January 28-30, 2025. The summit will be held at Pwani University in Kilifi County.
The summit, which will be attended by leaders, health experts, and policy makers from 14 member states, is expected to strengthen regional collaboration on health security, preparedness, and innovation.
Speaking during the launch at AMREF International University, Dr. Kamene Kimenye, who represented Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, said regional collaborations improve security.
‘We engaged Development Partners for Health in Kenya in a pre-summit meeting to align efforts toward impactful outcomes. Together, we are building resilient health systems for a safer future,” Kamene said.
Kamene stated that the coming summit would convene experts, government representatives, and private sector stakeholders to discuss strategies for the prevention, preparedness, detection, and response to health threats.
The Summit is seen as a crucial step toward enhancing the region’s capacity to combat emerging infectious diseases and fortify public health systems.
Kenya remains steadfast in its commitment to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and strengthening health systems, focusing on enhancing healthcare infrastructure and emergency preparedness.
Global health security (GHS) advocates for stronger and resilient public health systems that can detect, prevent, and respond to emerging infectious disease threats, wherever they occur in the world.
GHS explains that since the start of the 21st century, infectious disease outbreaks and epidemics have increased both in severity and frequency – most of which originate from animals. In 2020, millions of people lost their lives and livelihood because of lack of capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to COVID-19.
The summit seeks to promote regional cooperation and innovative approaches to address global health challenges, including vaccine-preventable diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), setting the stage for more resilient health systems across East Africa.
