Japan strengthens its support for Kenya’s fight against COVID-19 with additional PCR Test Kits
2021/6/3
On 3rd June 2021, H. E. Mr. HORIE Ryoichi, Ambassador of Japan to Kenya and Mr. IWAMA Hajime, Chief Representative of JICA in Kenya handed over 75,000 PCR test kits to Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). The donation, which was made through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is the second from Japan to the institution to boost Kenya’s efforts to contain the spread of the corona virus. Hon. Mutahi Kagwe, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Prof. Samuel Kariuki, the Director General of KEMRI attended the handing over ceremony. The first donation was handed over in August last year (link).
Over the past 40 years, Japan has developed cordial relations with KEMRI since it first supported the establishment of the institution in 1979. During the handing over of the test kits to Hon. Mutahi Kagwe, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Ambassador HORIE, expressed his expectation that the additional support will assist the Government of Kenya in accurately assessing the infection situation in the country.
Japan also hosted the virtual “COVAX Advanced Market Commitment Summit” with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), where we welcomed about 40 world leaders. At the summit, more than the targeted 8.3 billion US dollars in total was successfully raised, which will be utilised to secure a substantial amount of vaccine doses to cover about 30% of the developing world’s population. During the summit, Japan announced its further contribution of 800 million US dollars, bringing the total amount of Japan’s donation to COVAX to 1 billion US dollars so far. Japan will continue to commit to the COVAX scheme to ensure the fair and equal deployment of the doses all over the world (link
). Ambassador in his Speech, said “I hope the strain caused by the global shortage of the vaccine will be mitigated by this additional measure and above all, that Kenya will benefit from this scheme”.
Ambassador also introduced two Japanese who are currently working at the forefront of Kenya’s battle against the Covid. One is Dr. TAMAKI Raita, who is a JICA expert and working in the Ministry of Health as a Disease Surveillance Advisor, and the other is Dr. SHIMIZU Kazuki, who is seconded by the Government of Japan to work in the WHO office in Kenya. Dr. SHIMIZU is working on Health Emergency Programme, and is supporting the Emergency Operating Centre in the Ministry of Health. ”I am proud of them as they play a part in “Team Kenya” and I look forward to their further contribution to the robust Japan-Kenya cooperation in the health sector” Ambassador said. 
Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office
Over the past 40 years, Japan has developed cordial relations with KEMRI since it first supported the establishment of the institution in 1979. During the handing over of the test kits to Hon. Mutahi Kagwe, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Ambassador HORIE, expressed his expectation that the additional support will assist the Government of Kenya in accurately assessing the infection situation in the country.
Japan also hosted the virtual “COVAX Advanced Market Commitment Summit” with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), where we welcomed about 40 world leaders. At the summit, more than the targeted 8.3 billion US dollars in total was successfully raised, which will be utilised to secure a substantial amount of vaccine doses to cover about 30% of the developing world’s population. During the summit, Japan announced its further contribution of 800 million US dollars, bringing the total amount of Japan’s donation to COVAX to 1 billion US dollars so far. Japan will continue to commit to the COVAX scheme to ensure the fair and equal deployment of the doses all over the world (link
). Ambassador in his Speech, said “I hope the strain caused by the global shortage of the vaccine will be mitigated by this additional measure and above all, that Kenya will benefit from this scheme”.Ambassador also introduced two Japanese who are currently working at the forefront of Kenya’s battle against the Covid. One is Dr. TAMAKI Raita, who is a JICA expert and working in the Ministry of Health as a Disease Surveillance Advisor, and the other is Dr. SHIMIZU Kazuki, who is seconded by the Government of Japan to work in the WHO office in Kenya. Dr. SHIMIZU is working on Health Emergency Programme, and is supporting the Emergency Operating Centre in the Ministry of Health. ”I am proud of them as they play a part in “Team Kenya” and I look forward to their further contribution to the robust Japan-Kenya cooperation in the health sector” Ambassador said.
END
Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office