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:

1. Community Engagement 

2. Participatory Research

3. Capacity Building

4. 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:

1. Providing Insights and Feedback

2. Recruitment and Participation

3. Disseminating Findings.

4. Capacity Building and Empowerment

5. 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:

1. Improved Health Outcomes.

2. Better Disease Understanding.

3. Evidence-Based Health Policies.

4. Health Education and Awareness.

5. 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:

1. Advancing Scientific Knowledge

2. Informing Public Health Strategies

3. Developing New Treatments and Interventions

4. Contributing to Global Health Research

5. Ethical Use and Privacy Protection

6. 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:

1. Collaboration with Policymakers and Stakeholders

2. Clear and Accessible Communication

3. Evidence Synthesis

4. Focus on Policy-Relevant Outcomes

5. Engagement in Policy Advocacy

6. Dissemination through Policy Networks

7. Partnerships with Implementation Science

8. Monitoring and Evaluation

9. Engagement in Policy Development

You can contact KWTRP for more information through the following methods:

• Email: info@kemri-wellcome.org

• Phone- 0709 203000 – Nairobi/0709 983000 – Kilifi

• Social media:
  X: Kemri_wellcome*LinkedIn: Kemri-Wellcome Trust

• Youtube : Kemri-Wellcome Trust