Guracha Adi, director at the Kenya Investment Authority (Invest Kenya), Antoinette Gawin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Terumo BCT, and Toshiaki Takagi, chairman of the board of Terumo Corporation, during the official opening of the new Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies Africa headquarters and training centre in Nairobi.
Blood technology firm
Terumo has inaugurated its Africa headquarters and regional training centre in
Nairobi.
The training facility
will support Kenya and the wider East African region by strengthening local
capacity to use advanced technologies that improve access to safe blood, the
company said.
Terumo Blood and Cell
Technologies (Terumo BCT) is a medical technology company and global leader in
blood management.
Kenya’s national blood
supply currently falls short of demand, estimated at 500,000 units annually
based on World Health Organization guidelines.
Automation, improved
processing and enhanced technical capacity can help close this gap.
The company said its
new facility will help expand local proficiency in blood processing, apheresis
(separation of blood components) and other technologies.
The event was also
attended by Toshiaki Takagi, chairman of the board of Terumo Corporation, and
Antoinette Gawin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Terumo BCT.
“This facility
reflects our long-term commitment to Kenya and the region,” Takagi said. “By
investing in local capabilities, we support stronger, more resilient health
systems that can meet the needs of patients and communities across Africa.”
The training centre
will offer hands-on training and education for clinicians, laboratory
technologists and biomedical engineers. Participants will gain practical skills
in technology operation, quality management and maintenance practices for
Terumo BCT’s technologies, the company said.
The inauguration
follows a series of high-level meetings between Terumo BCT’s global leadership,
government leaders and health financing partners from December 1 through 3.
Discussions focused on opportunities to accelerate progress in blood safety,
sickle cell disease management and broader health system strengthening.
“Kenya is
strengthening healthcare access and advancing medical innovation,” Gawin said.
“We bring proven technologies suited to Kenya’s needs, and are committed to
continued investment in training that unlocks their full impact to build healthier
communities.”
Kenya is implementing
Terumo BCT’s whole blood automation technology, a step toward modernising
national transfusion services.
Guracha Adi, a
director at the Kenya Investment Authority (Invest Kenya), officiated the
opening.
He said: “Invest Kenya
welcomes Terumo BCT’s decision to establish its Africa headquarters and
training centre in Nairobi. This investment underscores Kenya’s increasing
appeal as a regional hub for advanced medical technologies and capacity
building. It aligns with our national agenda to strengthen healthcare
infrastructure, enhance blood management systems, and support the country’s
pursuit of Universal Health Coverage. We are confident that this facility will
play a pivotal role in elevating technical expertise across the region.”
Terumo BCT’s customers
include blood centres, hospitals, therapeutic apheresis clinics, cell
collection and processing organisations, researchers and private medical
practices.
The company’s products
and technologies are used in more than 160 countries across the world.