WHX Nairobi 2025: Driving Innovation, Investment, and Inclusive Healthcare in East Africa

---

• The 2025 WHX Nairobi and WHX Labs Nairobi programme will focus on advancing healthcare policy and investment, with sessions addressing sustainable financing, public–private partnerships, and innovative models to strengthen Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

• WHX Labs Nairobi will showcase cutting-edge laboratory innovations, from molecular diagnostics and antimicrobial resistance strategies to AI-powered systems and sustainable lab management.

• Leading exhibitors — including Randox, Beckman Coulter, Radiometer, Siemens Healthineers, Roche Kenya, Dedalus, Fujifilm, Snibe, and QIAGEN — will present the latest diagnostic and clinical technologies.

• Key speakers from AMREF Health Africa and WomenLift Health will share perspectives on healthcare innovation, inclusivity, and investment for East Africa’s future. Supported by Kenya’s Ministry of Health, the Kenya Medical Association, Africa CDC, and other regional partners, the event will align with Kenya’s Vision 2030 and UHC 2030 goals.

Nairobi, Kenya | September 2025: WHX Nairobi and WHX Labs Nairobi (formerly Medic East Africa and Medlab East Africa) will open next month at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC). Under the theme Advancing Healthcare and Laboratory Innovation in East Africa, the three-day co-located event will provide a unified platform for policy dialogue, technology transfer, and professional development.

Kenya’s population is projected to exceed 63 million by 2030, driving higher demand for healthcare services. While the health workforce is growing at an annual rate of 3.4%, demand is rising even faster at 4.7%. Without enough doctors, the health system risks falling behind in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Although Kenya has committed to UHC through its Health Sector Strategy and Vision 2030, a recent KSh 38.7 billion budget cut poses a significant challenge to the delivery of essential public health services.

The solution will require a paradigm shift in health workforce planning, moving away from a “one-size-fits-all” approach, while fostering greater collaboration between the public and private sectors to boost investment in health employment.

For the past seven years, Medic East Africa and Medlab East Africa have been Kenya’s leading healthcare and laboratory events. Now rebranded as WHX Nairobi and WHX Labs Nairobi under the patronage of Kenya’s Ministry of Health — and backed by Africa CDC, with CPD accreditation from the Kenya Medical Association and the Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians & Technologists Board — the events reaffirm Kenya’s leadership role in transforming healthcare across East Africa.

More than 200 exhibitors will showcase innovations in diagnostics, clinical care, and digital health. Global and regional leaders such as Randox, Beckman Coulter, Radiometer, Siemens Healthineers, Roche Kenya, Dedalus, Fujifilm, Snibe, and QIAGEN will highlight solutions that make the event a hub for technology transfer and cross-border collaboration.

“As East Africa scales up molecular diagnostics and genomics, Snibe is committed to ensuring innovation is matched by accessibility. We are partnering with universities and local laboratories to provide both technology and training, ensuring affordability without compromising performance,” said Snibe.

The 2025 agenda includes CPD-accredited conferences tackling urgent healthcare challenges and opportunities.

• Healthcare Policy and Investment Conference will explore financing models and public–private partnerships (PPPs).
• Digital Health Conference will spotlight AI, telemedicine, and data-driven tools to expand access and improve efficiency.
• Primary Healthcare Conference will focus on women-led leadership and community-centred strategies to build resilience.

“Leadership and strategic financing are pivotal to achieving equitable healthcare. At WomenLift Health, our work shows that when women are equipped to lead, health systems become more inclusive, financing decisions more equitable, and primary healthcare delivers greater resilience. WHX Nairobi creates a vital space to spotlight these leaders and their role in shaping East Africa’s health future,” said Liberty Kituu, Senior Communication Manager, East Africa, WomenLift Health.

Complementing these conferences, WHX Labs Nairobi will focus on antimicrobial resistance, molecular diagnostics, sustainable lab management, and the adoption of AI-augmented systems. As the dedicated diagnostics and laboratory science platform, WHX Labs Nairobi aims to address workforce shortages, expand access to essential diagnostics, and showcase the latest innovations in genomics, molecular testing, and automation.

WHX Nairobi and WHX Labs Nairobi will feature more than 65 international speakers from across East Africa and beyond, including Prof Edward Kunonga (NEOM Health & Well-Being Authority), Caroline Mbindyo (Amref Health Africa), Salim Hasham (International Hospital Federation), Dr Titus Mutwiri (Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians & Technologists Board), Dr Shahin Sayed (Aga Khan University), and Yasmin Chandani (InSupply Health).

They will be joined by leaders of key laboratory associations from Kenya, Tanzania, and the wider region, underscoring the event’s strong focus on diagnostics and laboratory sciences.

Desta Lakew, Group Director of Partnerships & External Affairs at AMREF Health Africa, highlighted the importance of primary healthcare:
“Kenya’s journey toward Universal Health Coverage is grounded in the principle of primary health care. The five transformative health laws passed in 2023 laid a robust foundation for equitable access, sustainable financing, interoperable digital systems, and a people-centred, data-driven health system. My hope for WHX Nairobi is that it catalyses greater political goodwill and innovation toward scalable, people-first solutions that can be replicated across Africa.”

As East Africa’s premier healthcare and diagnostics events, WHX Nairobi and WHX Labs Nairobi convene policymakers, clinicians, innovators, and investors to shape the future of healthcare. Anchored by Kenya’s leadership, the three-day programme underscores the region’s pivotal role in driving healthcare transformation for East Africa and beyond.

“As organisers of WHX Nairobi and WHX Labs Nairobi, we are proud to provide East Africa with a platform that unites policymakers, innovators, and healthcare leaders under one roof. This year’s agenda reflects the region’s commitment to inclusive primary healthcare, sustainable financing, and rapid adoption of digital and diagnostic innovation. By working in partnership with Kenya’s Ministry of Health, Africa CDC, and our global exhibitors, these events are not only defining East Africa’s healthcare future but also shaping conversations that will resonate across the continent,” said Tom Coleman, Portfolio Director at Informa Markets.