Kenya launches five-year strategy to boost local health products manufacturing

Presiding over the launch, Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr. Ouma Oluga said local manufacturing is critical to building a resilient health system and reducing reliance on imported health products.

He noted that strengthening domestic production will support sustainable healthcare financing, improve access to quality and affordable health commodities, and enhance the country's preparedness against global supply chain disruptions.

"The Strategy seeks to address barriers that have limited the growth of local manufacturing while creating an enabling environment for investment, innovation and industrial expansion," Dr. Oluga said.

The Strategy is anchored on three key pillars: accelerating regulatory and policy reforms, scaling up and diversifying local manufacturing capacity, and strengthening demand generation and market assurance.

It aims to position Kenya as a regional hub for health products and technologies manufacturing.

The PS called on government agencies, development partners, manufacturers, researchers and investors to strengthen collaboration, noting that partnerships will be key to advancing Universal Health Coverage and supporting the government's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.