Professor Edwine Barasa Appointed as Executive Director of the KEMRI-Wellcome Research Programme
Professor Edwine Barasa has been appointed as the Executive Director of the KEMRI-Wellcome Research Programme (KWRP), following the completion of a highly competitive recruitment process conducted by the Programme’s partners: the University of Oxford, KEMRI, and Wellcome.
The partners praised Professor Barasa’s exceptional leadership during his tenure as Interim Executive Director, highlighting his ability to guide the Programme with confidence and purpose. They emphasized the strong endorsement from the external panel, based on his clear vision and ambitious strategic plans. The partners agreed unanimously that, with his continued leadership, the Programme is well-positioned to thrive and make meaningful, lasting impacts on global health and well-being.
As Executive Director, Prof. Barasa will guide the Programme’s mission to conduct high-quality, relevant research in human health, while building sustainable research capacity and leadership. “I am excited about the journey ahead and thank the partners for their trust in me to steward the Programme. My commitment is to strengthen its impact as we continue to build a Programme that delivers outstanding science, shapes policy and practice, develops the next generation of African research leaders, and provides solutions to some of the most pressing health challenges of our time,” Professor Barasa stated. He reaffirmed his confidence in the Programme’s collaborative, inclusive, and respectful culture, pledging continued scientific excellence and global relevance.
A Professor of Health Economics at the University of Oxford, Edwine Barasa, has dedicated much of his career to connecting research and policy to strengthen health systems that are fairer and more effective. He holds a PhD in health economics (University of Cape Town), a master’s degree in health economics (University of Cape Town), and a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy (University of Nairobi). His research interests include health financing, equity and efficiency in healthcare, economic evaluation of health interventions, measuring health systems’ performance, and health system governance.
Outside academia, he brings extensive experience in national and continental health policy, having spent years practicing, advising, and leading research in health economics and financing in Kenya and across Sub-Saharan Africa.
In Kenya, he has served as an advisor to the Ministry of Health, contributing to initiatives like the COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment Taskforce, the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) Reform Committee, and the Kenya Health Benefits Advisory Panel. Regionally, he chairs the Africa CDC Health Economics Programme Advisory Board and the Africa Universal Health Coverage Commission.
His recent regional roles include serving as Chair of the Advisory Board for the Africa CDC’s Health Economics Programme and leading the Africa Universal Health Coverage Commission. He also offers technical expertise on health financing to international development partners such as the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO), with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, where his contributions support ongoing health financing reforms across the region.