reseach relevant to
global health and to
build local capacity
for undertaking
research
sustainable capacity
for research in human
health that improves
global health
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The KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme is a world-renowned health research unit of excellence. The programme was formed in 1989 when the Kenya Medical Research Institute formed a partnership with the Wellcome Trust and the University of Oxford. The Programme has grown from a small group of 12 to a state of the art facility hosting over 100 research scientists and 700 support staff working across Kenya, Uganda and the region. We have over the years excelled in use of novel ideas working with local community’s to achieve better health for Africa while also developing African scientific leaders.
Publications
Integrating alternative and complementary medicine in the management of epilepsy and its comorbidities in low- and middle-income settings - 2025
Kariuki, S. M., Newton, C. R. J. C.Mosquito-borne diseases in urban East African Community region: a scoping review of urban typology research and mosquito genera overlap, 2000-2024 - 2024
Noel, J. K., Mumo, E., Morlighem, C., Macharia, P. M., Snow, R. W., Linard, C.Dynamics of the blood plasma proteome during hyperacute HIV-1 infection - 2024
Nazziwa, J., Freyhult, E., Hong, M. G., Johansson, E., Årman, F., Hare, J., Gounder, K., Rezeli, M., Mohanty, T., Kjellström, S., Kamali, A., Karita, E., Kilembe, W., Price, M. A., Kaleebu, P., Allen, S., Hunter, E., Ndung'u, T., Gilmour, J., Rowland-Jones, S. L., Sanders, E., Hassan, A. S., Esbjörnsson, J.Policy Briefs
- Adopting the EEEC Framework to optimize critical provision in Kenya
- Final copy Summary of research findings by The CHAIN Network and KEMRI-Wellcome Trust
- Improving case detection of tuberculosis in hospitalised Kenyan children
- Using ‘Magnet Theatre’ to engage public audiences with health research in coastal Kenya
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Frequently Asked Questions .
The KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP) is based within the KEMRI Centre for Geographic Medical Research – (Coast). Our core activities are funded by the Wellcome Trust.
KEMRI stands for Kenya Medical Research Institute and is a government institution, under the Ministry of Health, (MOH). It was established through the Science and Technology (Amendment) Act of 1979, which has since been amended to Science, Technology and Innovation Act 2013. The 1979 Act established KEMRI as a National body responsible for carrying out health research in Kenya. There are 12 KEMRI research centres in Kenya. Eight are in Nairobi while the other centres are in Kilifi, Kisumu, Kericho and Busia. The centre in Kilifi is called the Centre for Geographic Medicine Research, Coast (CGMR-C) and also known us the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP) due to the funding received from the Wellcome Trust see more
Conducting high quality research requires resources, including equipment, vehicles, drugs and highly qualified staff. As such, KEMRI Kilifi works with several international organisations that fund most of the ongoing research projects. In Kilifi, the main funding partner is a charitable UK-based organisation called Wellcome Trust. This is why the research programme in Kilifi is called the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme.
The first large research project at KEMRI Kilifi in 1989 looked at the problem of malaria. In Kenya, malaria is very common in the Coast, Nyanza, Rift Valley and Western parts of Kenya. From these possible sites, Kilifi was chosen because KEMRI already had some experience of running smaller research projects with the Wellcome Trust at Kilifi County Hospital (former Kilifi District Hospital), in addition to having a stable population i.e. minimal movement in and out of Kilifi was important to the studies.
Currently, KWTRP has 3 main hubs in Kilifi, Nairobi and Mbale, but also works in collaborations with researchers in Harar in Ethiopia and Bagamoyo in Tanzania.
In Kilifi the Programme conducts research in Kilifi County Hospital and nearby health facilities, such as Pingilikani, Ngerenya, Junju, Ganze Health Centre, Bamba sub county hospital, Dida, Madamani dispensaries, Mtwapa among others.
The programme also hosts a comprehensive Health demographic surveillance system where KWTRP staff visit people in their homes and collects population-based data which is then used to support research work.
The Programme has also established a clinical surveillance network with 17 hospitals across Kenya. This network collects routine hospital admission data that is used for decision making and for researchers. The hospital in the network include Coast General Hospital in Mombasa, Mbagathi, Machakos, Pumwani Hospitals in Nairobi etc. KEMRI Kilifi also works in other parts of Kenya and in other countries in Africa such as Mbale, Uganda.
Our research is characterized by a multidisciplinary approach with a focus on five thematic areas:
• Pathogen biology
This theme employs a discovery approach to tackle the challenges posed by high burden infectious diseases, by advancing the understanding of host responses, host-pathogen interactions, and the mechanisms for disease transmission and resistance.
• Vaccines
The vaccines theme aims to accelerate the development, access and uptake of the most effective vaccines against local and global health priorities.
• Clinical research
Clinical research aims to generate evidence to improve care and outcomes for sick children through tackling major global health challenges that include malnutrition, antimicrobial resistance, and other high burden infectious diseases among paediatrics that include malaria and pneumonia.
• Population health
Population Health aims to provide timely and actionable evidence on the infectious and non-communicable conditions that account for the largest burden of disease in Africa.
• Health systems research ethics
Health system research work aims to generate evidence to guide the development of equitable, efficient, quality, ethical, and responsive health systems.
KWTRP works closely with local communities to ensure that its research is relevant, beneficial, and respectful of local needs and contexts. Our collaboration with communities includes:
Community Engagement
Participatory Research
Capacity Building
Feedback Mechanisms
Local communities play a vital and active role in the research conducted by KWTRP. Their involvement ensures that research is relevant, ethical, and responsive to the needs of the people it aims to serve. The key roles of local communities in research include:
Providing Insights and Feedback
Recruitment and Participation
Disseminating Findings.
Capacity Building and Empowerment
Ethical Oversight
Populations benefit from research in a variety of impactful ways, and KWTRP is committed to ensuring that its research leads to tangible improvements in public health. The key benefits of research to populations include:
Improved Health Outcomes.
Better Disease Understanding.
Evidence-Based Health Policies.
Health Education and Awareness.
Global Health Impact
The data gathered from research participants by KWTRP is used responsibly, ethically, and with the utmost respect for participants’ privacy and confidentiality. The key ways in which this data is used include:
Advancing Scientific Knowledge
Informing Public Health Strategies
Developing New Treatments and Interventions
Contributing to Global Health Research
Ethical Use and Privacy Protection
Monitoring and Improving Research Quality
Researchers ensure that their findings inform health policies through a series of strategic steps designed to bridge the gap between research and policy-making.
Here are some key approaches:
Collaboration with Policymakers and Stakeholders
Clear and Accessible Communication
Evidence Synthesis
Focus on Policy-Relevant Outcomes
Engagement in Policy Advocacy
Dissemination through Policy Networks
Partnerships with Implementation Science
Monitoring and Evaluation
Engagement in Policy Development
You can contact KWTRP for more information through the following methods:
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Email: info@kemri-wellcome.org
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Phone: Call +254 709 983000/ +254 709 983676
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Social media:
X: Kemri_wellcome*LinkedIn: Kemri-Wellcome Trust - Youtube : Kemri-Wellcome Trust
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