The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) is banking on its locally produced products, including disinfectants, repellents, Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and diagnostic kits, to generate revenue and sustain critical research programmes.
This follows the decision by United States of America (US) President Donald Trump to cut foreign aid, a move that has significantly impacted the organisation’s operations.
KEMRI Director General (DG), Prof. Elijah Songok, revealed that the funding cuts have affected 40 % of the institute’s programmes, putting approximately 824 staff members at risk of losing their jobs.
Of these, 90% are involved in research projects in Kisumu, a region where KEMRI has been instrumental in conducting health research, particularly in the fight against malaria, HIV/AIDS, and other infectious diseases.
“At the moment, we can only support 64 staff members from the affected programmes using our internally generated revenue,” Prof. Songok said.
He noted that to keep the projects afloat, KEMRI was ramping up the production and sale of its health-related products to bridge the financial gap.
“We are advocating for players in the health sector to buy our products. We must support KEMRI by purchasing these products so as to minimise the impact of the donor cuts,” he said.
In an interview with KNA in Kisumu, Prof. Songok said in response to the financial strain which has affected USAID-funded programmes, KEMRI was now looking beyond traditional Western donors and seeking support from Asian countries, particularly Japan and South Korea.
According to Prof. Songok, these nations have shown promise as potential partners willing to invest in scientific research and health programmes in Africa.
The research institute remains hopeful that diversifying funding sources and leveraging local innovation will help sustain its research agenda, ensuring that critical health studies do not come to a standstill despite the external financial challenges.
The funding crisis follows President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy, which has seen significant cuts in U.S. foreign aid, including health programmes in developing nations.
His administration has also reduced funding to global health initiatives, dealing a major blow to institutions like KEMRI, which had relied heavily on U.S. grants for research on diseases affecting millions of Kenyans.
“This is not the first time we are encountering this. In 2015, we had a similar problem when the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) pulled out, affecting a number of our programmes.
However, Covid-19 taught us so many lessons; that is why we have become innovative and ventured into the production of various products,” he said.
By Chris Mahandara