NAIROBI, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Kenya aims to become a continental hub for health commodity production by leveraging fiscal incentives, regulatory reforms, innovation, and a skilled workforce, senior officials said on Wednesday in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.
Speaking during the opening of Africa 2026 MEDEXPO International Trade Exhibition, the officials said that indigenous manufacturing of health products such as essential drugs, diagnostics and vaccines will cushion the country from disruptions in the global supply chain occasioned by conflicts and climate change.
Regina Akoth Ombam, principal secretary of the State Department for Trade, said the government has prioritized ramping up production of health technologies and essential commodities for domestic use and export in line with the national industrial transformation agenda.
Kenya is hosting the 26th MEDEXPO, a premier gathering of local, regional and global players in medical technologies, laboratory science, hospital equipment and pharmaceuticals, which runs until Friday.
During the three-day event, exhibitors from over 30 countries including China will showcase health commodities such as diagnostic equipment, surgical kits and medicine for treating common illnesses.
Ouma Oluga, principal secretary of the State Department for Medical Services, said that investments in domestic production of health commodities will be key to tackling a high disease burden and stabilizing foreign currency reserves through exports.
He stressed that health care remains a key driver of socio-economic transformation in the country, necessitating the urgency for policy reforms to attract investments in local manufacturing of medical supplies. ■
