USIU Assistant Professor of Communications and Media Dr Dorothy Njoroge; Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (CEMA,) Infectious disease specialist, Dr Loice Ombajo; Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK) secretary general and CEO Dr. Chris Barasa; Defrontera Media Editor in Chief Anne Mawathe; and RAG Head of Electronic Media Susan Kimachia, during the National Science Research Translation Congress at APHRC headquarters, Nairobi on October 22, 2025/LEAH MUKANGAI.Kenya’s Director General for Health, Dr.
Patrick Amoth, has urged for a more robust connection between scientists,
journalists, and policymakers to effectively translate research into actionable
health reforms.
Speaking at The Star Newspaper’s Inaugural
National Science Research Translation Congress in Nairobi, Dr. Amoth stressed
the critical need to close the “know-do gap,” which is the persistent
disconnect between scientific knowledge and its practical implementation in
policy and public health practice.
Dr. Amoth emphasized that while science and
research are the foundation of strong health systems, a significant amount of
groundbreaking research remains underutilized.
He lauded the congress for fostering dialogue
on how to move from evidence to action and suggested that future forums should
include Ministry of Health technical officers to share their experiences.
The Director General underscored the critical
role of communication in this process, especially given that Africa records
over 100 public health emergencies annually.
He called for a multi-sectoral approach to
ensure complex scientific findings are packaged in a language the ordinary
person can understand, thereby countering misinformation and strengthening
public trust.
“The Ministry of Health is actively
strengthening evidence-based policymaking by bolstering ethical and regulatory
frameworks, fostering research-policymaker collaboration, and building
innovation ecosystems with partners like KEMRI, APHRC, AMPATH, the Wellcome
Trust, other research institutions and researchers in academia.”
Dr.
Amoth highlighted the growing use of real-time data to guide service delivery
and health outcomes, citing the upcoming Quality Healthcare and Patient Safety
Bill as an effort to establish a continuous quality improvement system.
He also announced two significant updates to
Kenya’s national vaccination program, both based on local scientific evidence. The HPV Vaccine will see a shift from a two-dose schedule to a single-dose
regimen to increase coverage and accelerate the goal of making cervical cancer
a disease of the past by 2030.
He also said that the country will transition
from oral Polio Vaccine with the introduction of a second dose of the
Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) at nine months.
Dr. Amoth highlighted the potential of
Artificial Intelligence (AI) to accelerate the regulatory review process for new health interventions significantly.
He said that “AI could scan complex
scientific dossiers in seconds, drastically cutting down the current
months-long approval times and ensuring innovations reach the public faster.”
Regarding funding, Dr. Amoth stressed that
Kenya must increasingly rely on domestic financing to sustain its health
programs. He acknowledged that the donor landscape has shifted for good, with
international priorities moving toward defense and internal needs,
necessitating a greater utilization of local resources.
Dr. Amoth called for increased investment in
young Kenyan scientists through capacity building and mentorship.
He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to
grounding all health policies in scientific evidence as the country pursues
universal health coverage, concluding: “Let us move from data to decision,
from evidence to action, and from innovation to better outcomes.”