June 5, 2024, SEOUL, Republic of Korea – The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) announced today that the Republic of Kenya has joined IVI as a State Party. The President of Kenya, H.E. Dr. William Ruto, led a delegation to IVI to raise the flag of Kenya at the organization’s headquarters in Seoul during an accession ceremony.

George Bickerstaff, Chairperson of IVI’s Board of Trustees, said: “We are thrilled to celebrate the addition of Kenya to IVI’s state membership, a meaningful step forward as IVI and the Kenyan government continue to strengthen ties in pursuit of a common goal to develop end-to-end vaccine research, development, and manufacturing capabilities in the country and regionally. We thank H.E. Dr. President Ruto, Cabinet Secretary for Health Hon. Susan Nakhumicha, Ambassador Prof. Emmy Kipsoi, and other esteemed guests for celebrating this occasion with us.”

H.E. Dr. William Ruto, President of Kenya, said: “I am truly delighted that our journey has come to fruition, and we are raising the Kenyan flag today in commemoration of Kenya’s accession as State Party of this great institution, the International Vaccine Institute. As we celebrate this moment, I urge you to keep pushing the boundaries of innovation and enhance support for research and development in biotechnology. Your commitment is vital for our progress; let us therefore use this milestone as a platform for launching a path into the future through exploration and discovery, working together in the spirit of solidarity and partnership to build resilient health systems and ensure the whole world is prepared for any health emergency.”

Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of IVI, said: “Today, we proudly welcome Kenya as a State Party of IVI. With the exceptional support of the Kenyan government and our research and development collaborators, we look forward to growing IVI’s Country Office in Nairobi and the Advancing Vaccine End-to-End Capabilities in Africa (AVEC Africa) initiative with local and other African partners. Together, we share a vision of strengthening a sustainable vaccine ecosystem—from industry to capacities to talent—to advance science, prevent disease, and save lives.”

Hon. Susan Nakhumicha, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Health, said: “Our accession to IVI is coming at a critical time, when the global discourse is on how we manage outbreaks and emergencies, preparing ourselves to ensure that we are able to respond as they happen, and, equally, that we build resilient systems. We have an ambitious goal of achieving universal health coverage and I am confident we’ll be able to through partners like IVI and others who have continuously worked together.”

The Kenyan delegation led by President Ruto included Hon. Nakhumicha S. Wafula, Cabinet Secretary for Health; Hon. Salim Mvurya, Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs; Hon. Kipchumba Murkomen, Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport; and other senior officials who were in Seoul to attend the inaugural Korea-Africa Summit from June 4-5, 2024.

Mr. Chul Lee, Director General of the International Organizations Bureau of the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided congratulatory remarks during the ceremony as well as Dr. Raji Tajudeen, Ag. Deputy Director General of Africa CDC.

Kenya is IVI’s 26th Party to its Establishment Agreement, the 1996 United Nations treaty that established IVI as an independent international organization, as well as the host country of IVI’s Country Office and Project Office for the Advancing Vaccine End-to-end Capabilities in Africa (AVEC Africa) initiative.

The Agreement remains open for accession by any state or intergovernmental organization.

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About the International Vaccine Institute (IVI)
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is a non-profit international organization established in 1997 at the initiative of the United Nations Development Programme with a mission to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines for global health.

IVI’s current portfolio includes vaccines at all stages of pre-clinical and clinical development for infectious diseases that disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries, such as cholera, typhoid, chikungunya, shigella, salmonella, schistosomiasis, hepatitis E, HPV, COVID-19, and more. IVI developed the world’s first low-cost oral cholera vaccine, pre-qualified by the World Health Organization (WHO), and developed a new-generation typhoid conjugate vaccine that also achieved WHO prequalification in early 2024.

IVI is headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea with a Europe Regional Office in Sweden, an Africa Regional Office in Rwanda, a Country Office in Austria, and a Country and Project Office in Kenya. IVI additionally co-founded the Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute in Hong Kong and hosts Collaborating Centers in Ghana, Ethiopia, and Madagascar. 41 countries and the WHO are members of IVI, and the governments of the Republic of Korea, Sweden, India, Finland, and Thailand provide state funding. For more information, please visit https://www.ivi.int.

CONTACT

Aerie Em, Global Communications & Advocacy Manager
+82 2 881 1386 | aerie.em@www.ivi.int