Ag. Director General of KEMRI, Professor Sam Kariuki commissioned the FIND (www.Finddx.org) Kenya office, which is hosted in KEMRI headquarters, noting that the launch was a critical moment that celebrates collaborative research; A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held last Thursday, attended by Professor Joseph Ndung’u, Executive Director of FIND in Kenya, as well as partners including International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology (JKUAT), and Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi)
FIND, the global alliance for diagnostics, marked the official commissioning of the FIND Kenya office (https://bit.ly/3G6Tkvt) last Thursday. The FIND Kenya office is housed in the Nairobi headquarters of the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), the Kenyan State Corporation for science and technology that is now a regional leader in human health research.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by Ag. Director General of KEMRI, Professor Sam Kariuki, was attended by Professor Joseph Ndung’u, Executive Director of FIND in Kenya, as well as partners including International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology (JKUAT), and Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi). On its official Twitter feed, KEMRI quoted DG Kariuki (https://bit.ly/3HQRX5m) saying that the milestone was a “critical moment that celebrates collaborative research.”
FIND was first set up in 2003, as a product development partnership focused on filling diagnostic gaps that prevent access to testing. The relationship with KEMRI began over a decade ago, with an initial Memorandum of Understanding between the two organizations signed in 2015, and renewed in 2020.
The FIND Kenya office serves the East Africa region. Disease-focused work includes projects to expand access to tests for tuberculosis, COVID-19 and neglected tropical diseases such as human African trypanosomiasis (HAT, also known as sleeping sickness), visceral leishmaniasis, and schistosomiasis. These are complimented by cross-cutting workstreams for diagnostic network optimization, biobanking, mobile labs and the use of digital tools. Work on next-generation sequencing is also currently being explored. More than 10 FIND staff can be accommodated at the KEMRI facility.
Professor Ndung’u said: “The FIND Kenya office is critical to our operations in this region, and we are extremely appreciative of our long-standing relationships with the Kenyan government, with KEMRI, and other partners here, as we work together to strengthen testing services as part of sustainable and resilient health systems.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of FIND.
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Malika Bouayad, APO Group
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About FIND:
FIND, the global alliance for diagnostics, seeks to ensure equitable access to reliable diagnosis around the world. We connect countries and communities, funders, decision-makers, healthcare providers and developers to spur diagnostic innovation and make testing an integral part of sustainable, resilient health systems. We are co-convener of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator diagnostics pillar, and a WHO Collaborating Centre for Laboratory Strengthening and Diagnostic Technology Evaluation. Founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2003, we have regional hubs in Kenya, India, South Africa and Viet Nam. With partners across the public and private sectors, we are working to make sure that everyone who needs a test can get one. For more information, please visit www.Finddx.org
