Kenya will receive support from the United Kingdom in the fight against Covid-19.

The support comes in form of genomic sequencing equipment and through the UK’s New Variant Assessment Platform Programme(NVAP), as part of Kenya –UK partnership.

That platform will see the UK’s unique sequencing and variant assessment capabilities support Kenya’s response to Covid-19 in the global fight against the pandemic.

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said he was delighted to be able to take the Kenya-UK Health Partnership to the next level.

"I am delighted to be able to take the Kenya-UK Health Partnership to the next level. The contribution and support from the UK on genomic sequencing will assist in the response to the current pandemic and will help us fight future pandemics together. Through KEMRI and Oxford University, we have a 30-year health partnership which continues to grow from strength to strength as we continuously expand our scope of co-operation in the health sector." Mutahi said.

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Dominic Raab, Secretary of State for The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said that it was right for a Science superpower country like UK to share its expertise in the global fight against Covid-19.

“The UK is a science superpower and it is right that we share our expertise in the global fight against Covid-19. I welcome this partnership with Kenya, to identify, track and respond to new Covid-19 variants and future health threats. No one is safe until we are all safe,” said Raab

British High Commissioner Jane Marriot said that the Kenya-UK partnership is more than 30 years old. She added that the relationship has been strong throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. She also said that her country and Kenya will share their expertise to work together in handling cases of new variants.

“Our health partnership with Kenya is over 30 years old. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, this relationship has been incredibly strong. Kenyan and British scientists at KEMRI and Oxford University were closely involved in the development of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Now we will share our expertise to work together in identifying, tracking and responding to new variants with Kenya, saving lives here and around the world. No-one is safe until everyone is safe.” Said Marriott.

Plans are being confirmed for the UK to provide technical support for bioinformatics which will include the supply of reagents and equipment for increasing sequencing capacity as well as expert training and mentoring on variant analysis.

The UK announced funding of £1.3 Million that translates to Sh177 Million to support studies to help monitor, understand and inform Covid-19 in Kenya. 

Kenyan scientists will be able to measure Covid-19 antibody prevalence among blood donors; attendees at ante-natal care clinics; and among healthcare workers through the initiative led by KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, together with the Kenya Ministry of Health.

The UK affirmed that they would continue to work closely with Kenya to manage Covid-19 through coordinated public health measures, strengthening the health systems.