During the COVID 19 pandemic the KEMRI-Wellcome has leveraged on its existing expertise in conducting internationally acclaimed research on emerging causes of disease and mortality to provide the evidence to improve health. We work closely with the Kenyan Ministry of health, regional and international partnering institutions, with the aim of providing timely and responsive evidence to inform the country response to the pandemic. The areas of expertise have included;

1. Testing: We are a primary testing facility for COVID-19 samples in the coastal region in Kenya
2. Genome Sequencing: We are conducting genetic sequencing work to track transmission of COVID-19 cases
3. Therapeutics trials: We are conducting a trial on prophylactic therapy for COVID-19
4. Vaccine Development: We are conducting a phase I/II COVID-19 vaccine trial in Kenya, in collaboration with the University of Oxford
5. Surveillance: We are conducting, clinical, serology, and mortality surveillance for COVID-19
6. COVID-19 modeling: We are conducting epidemiological, health systems, and economic modeling to inform government planning and interventions
7. Health systems and social science: We are conducting health system readiness and capacity assessments, assessment of indirect health impacts, health economic analyses, as well as an assessment of community perceptions and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
8. Knowledge synthesis and policy engagement: We are synthesizing emerging evidence on COVID-10, and actively engaging government at the county and national level to support decision making