Officials from the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Global Antibiotic Resistance Partnership (GARP), and One Health Trust pose for a group photo during the launch of the AMR policy brief .
By Peace Muthoka
NAIROBI, March 27, 2026 — Health experts have warned that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is fast becoming a “silent pandemic” in Kenya and across Africa, threatening to make common infections untreatable and reverse decades of medical progress.
Speaking during the launch of a new policy brief in Nairobi, officials from the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) said the country is at a critical turning point as life-saving drugs steadily lose their effectiveness.
Dr. Eric Muok, Acting Director of Research and Development at KEMRI, described AMR as an urgent and growing crisis already affecting lives and straining the healthcare system.
“In Kenya and across East Africa, AMR is no longer a distant theoretical risk. It is a present reality claiming lives, complicating routine treatments and increasing healthcare costs,” he said.
He noted that the region’s interconnected borders allow drug-resistant infections to spread easily, making the threat even more difficult to contain.
Globally, AMR was linked to more than one million deaths in 2021, driven largely by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in human medicine and agriculture. As microbes evolve, they become resistant to treatment, leaving doctors with fewer options to manage infections.
However, the newly released report by the Global Antibiotic Resistance Partnership (GARP), in collaboration with KEMRI and the One Health Trust, highlights vaccines as one of the most effective solutions to slow this growing crisis.
Experts say vaccines do more than prevent disease. They also reduce the need for antibiotics, which in turn slows the development of resistant bacteria.
“Prevention is the ultimate cure. If a child does not get pneumonia or typhoid, there is no need for antibiotics,” Dr. Muok explained.
The report shows that vaccines can significantly cut infection rates, protect communities through herd immunity and reduce pressure on already stretched health systems.
For instance, Kenya’s introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine led to a sharp drop in infections caused by resistant strains, with cases falling by up to 90 percent among children under five.
Similarly, the malaria vaccine has reduced cases by more than a third in young children in some areas, while the typhoid conjugate vaccine is expected to curb drug-resistant infections among children and adolescents.
Dr. Robert Onsare, Head of the Enteric Pathogens and AMR Research Division at KEMRI and Chair of GARP-Kenya, said vaccines offer an immediate and practical solution.
“Addressing AMR starts with preventing infections in the first place. Vaccines stand out as a powerful, readily available tool that can be used in the short term,” he said.
“For certain infections where resistance is widespread, vaccines may be the only effective way to save lives,” he added.
The report outlines several measures to strengthen Kenya’s response, including increased investment in existing vaccines, faster rollout of newer vaccines and improved access in underserved areas.
It also calls for stronger public awareness campaigns to build confidence in vaccines, alongside investments in cold-chain systems to ensure vaccines remain effective, especially in remote regions.
Importantly, experts stressed the need for a “One Health” approach that links human, animal and environmental health, noting that resistant infections can spread between people and animals.
KEMRI officials said the findings provide a clear roadmap for integrating immunization into Kenya’s national strategy on antimicrobial resistance.
By prioritising vaccines, they added, the country can protect the effectiveness of existing antibiotics while safeguarding future generations.
“We are not just observing this crisis. We are actively engineering solutions,” Dr. Muok said.
The policy brief, titled The Value of Vaccines to Address Antimicrobial Resistance in Kenya, is expected to guide government action as the country steps up efforts to contain one of the most pressing public health threats of the modern era.
