Kenya To Host The 2026 World Health Summit Regional Meeting
By Winnie Atieno
Kenya will host the 2026 World Health Summit (WHS) Regional Meeting, a high-level conference expected to attract over 2,000 global health leaders, policymakers, innovators, and researchers.
The summit, set for April 27–29, 2026 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), will run under the theme “Reimagining Africa’s Health Systems: Innovation, Integration, and Interdependence.”
The announcement was made on Tuesday during a facility tour by the Aga Khan University (AKU) team at the KICC, the designated venue of the upcoming summit.
Professor Lukoye Atwoli, Dean of AKU Medical College, East Africa, and Incoming International President of the 2026 WHS Regional Meeting, said the event is a historic milestone for both Kenya and Africa’s health agenda.
“This is a significant milestone not only for our University and Kenya but for Africa’s health and development agenda. The summit will spotlight African-led solutions while shaping the broader global health conversation,” Prof. Atwoli stated.
He emphasized that AKU’s leadership in organizing the summit reflects its growing global influence in health, higher education, and innovation. “Hosting this summit reflects AKU’s impact and influence as a thought leader in health, higher education, and innovation, not just in East Africa but across the globe. It reaffirms our commitment to shaping a healthier, more equitable future through research, education, and engagement,” he added.
The WHS Regional Meeting is expected to cement Kenya’s reputation as a preferred destination for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE), a sector regarded as one of the fastest-growing in global tourism.
According to KICC Director of Business Development, Mr. Geoffrey Thande, Kenya’s ability to secure world-class conventions such as the WHS Regional Meeting demonstrates the country’s growing competitiveness in the global MICE sector.
“KICC continues to spearhead strategic collaborations with partners such as the Aga Khan University and other local and international organizations to secure world-class conventions, ensuring Kenya’s visibility and competitiveness on the global stage,” Mr. Thande said.
He noted that conference tourism plays a central role in Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), contributing directly to economic growth. Hosting the 2026 WHS Regional Meeting is projected to inject an estimated KSh 3.8 billion into the economy through business events tourism.
The summit programme will include plenary sessions, high-level policy dialogues, and collaborative workshops, all aimed at producing actionable recommendations to strengthen Africa’s health systems. The outcomes are expected to contribute significantly to the advancement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Delegates will include African Health Ministers, senior officials from Kenya’s Ministry of Health, representatives from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the African Union. Participants will also include academics, civil society leaders, private sector representatives, and global development partners.
Kenya now joins an exclusive list of countries that have previously hosted the WHS Regional Meeting. These include Singapore, Brazil, Japan, Switzerland, Canada, Portugal, Iran, Uganda, Italy, the United States, Australia, and India.
Since its founding in 2009, the World Health Summit, held annually in Berlin, has grown into one of the most influential platforms for shaping health as a cornerstone of sustainable development. The regional meetings, hosted by members of the WHS Academic Alliance across the world, provide an opportunity to address regional priorities while feeding into the global dialogue in Berlin.
The Nairobi meeting is expected to catalyze new partnerships across governments, academia, civil society, and the private sector. Organizers say the deliberations will not only provide African perspectives but also influence global strategies on health resilience, innovation, and interdependence.
The summit is also set to showcase Kenya’s capacity to host large-scale international conferences, highlighting its infrastructural readiness, hospitality, and strategic location as a gateway to Africa.
Observers note that the hosting of the 2026 WHS Regional Meeting aligns with Kenya’s aspiration to strengthen health systems, expand medical research, and advance regional cooperation in public health. It is also seen as a boost to Kenya’s global profile as a hub for science, policy, and innovation.
As the world continues to grapple with complex health challenges, including pandemics, climate change impacts, and the rising burden of non-communicable diseases, the Nairobi summit is expected to generate fresh ideas and practical solutions relevant not only to Africa but to the entire globe.
With Kenya preparing to welcome delegates from across the world, the WHS Regional Meeting 2026 promises to be a landmark event that reinforces Africa’s central role in shaping the future of global health.
