Medic East Africa, will take place at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Kenya from 4 to 6 September 2024. This is the second edition of the event.
The three-day event will bring together leading regional and international professionals for discussions on pressing topics within primary healthcare, as well as healthcare financing and leadership.
According to Medic East Africa’s 2024 Healthcare Outlook for East Africa, the region’s medical sector, including doctors, nurses and lab technicians, is understaffed. There is an average of 0.2 physicians for every 1 000 people. These professionals must also grapple with the rising burden of non-communicable diseases which now account for more than a quarter of deaths in East Africa.
Precious healthcare services are also only accessible to 34% of people in the region, leaving a large equality and access gap to be closed in East Africa.
Countries like Kenya are leading the way when it comes to healthcare innovation. Despite dealing with all these challenges, the country is seeing more investment in health infrastructure.
“Innovation and prosperous partnerships are central to our country’s efforts to meet UN healthcare objectives by 2030,” says Dr Joseph Lenai, Acting Director of Preventive and Promotive Health Services from Kenya’s Ministry of Health.
Kenya is increasingly becoming an attractive destination for clinical trials and the country is also boosting its vaccine production capabilities. By joining the International Vaccine Institute, the county will benefit from technology transfers for cholera, measles, rubella, and typhoid vaccines. Two vaccine projects hosted at BioVax and the Kenya Medical Research Institute will also see an additional US$50 million invested in the health sector.
“Medic East Africa is proud to be hosting this regional event in partnership with the Kenyan Ministry of Health. Support from key supporting organisations in the health sector will go a long way to ensuring that solutions to the region’s most pressing healthcare needs come out of this gathering,” said Senior Exhibitions Director, Tom Coleman.