Vaccines Could Help Kenya Fight Growing Threat of Antibiotic Resistance
Dr Erick Muok, Acting Director of Research and Development at KEMRI speaking during the launch of GARP policy brief in Nairobi on March 26, 2026
Health experts are calling for greater investment in vaccines as a critical strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR), warning that the growing threat could undermine decades of medical progress if not addressed.
The launch of a policy brief titled ” The value of vaccines in mitigating Antimicrobial Resistance in Kenya” a product of the Global Antibiotic Resistance Partnership(GARP), an inniciative of KEMRI and One health trust, examined the role of vaccines in tackling drug-resistant infections, Reseachers indicated that preventing infections through immunisation could significantly reduce the need for antibiotics and slow the spread of resistance.
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria and other pathogens evolve to withstand medicines designed to kill them, making infections harder and more expensive to treat. Globally, an estimated 1.3 million deaths were directly attributed to drug-resistant infections in 2019, according to research data.
In Kenya, the burden is also substantial. Available data shows the country ranks 28th globally in deaths linked to antimicrobial resistance, with approximately 8,500 deaths directly attributed to AMR each year.
Speaking during the launch, Dr Erick Muok, Acting Director of Research and Development at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), said antimicrobial resistance is no longer a distant threat but a pressing public health challenge.
“AMR is no longer a distant or theoretical risk, it is a present reality that we must confront together,” Muok said.
He described antimicrobial resistance as a “silent pandemic” that threatens modern medicine, warning that infections once easily treated with antibiotics are becoming increasingly difficult to manage.
Experts say vaccines could play a major role in slowing the spread of resistant infections because they prevent illnesses before treatment with antibiotics becomes necessary.
“Vaccines stimulate the immune system and prevent infections before they occur, reducing the need for antimicrobial use and lowering the pressure that drives resistance,” said Robert Onsare, a researcher involved in developing the policy brief.
Kenya continues to face a heavy burden of infectious diseases, which remain among the leading causes of death in the country. Health data indicates that more than 43 percent of deaths are linked to infectious diseases, including malaria, lower respiratory infections and neonatal conditions.
Many of these infections are often treated with antibiotics, sometimes without laboratory confirmation. Researchers estimate that more than 70 percent of patients receive antibiotics empirically, meaning treatment begins before diagnostic tests confirm the cause of infection.
This widespread use of antibiotics increases the risk of resistance developing.
“By investing in vaccines, we are also investing in the longevity of our current antibiotics,” Muok said.
Vaccination programmes in Kenya have already demonstrated significant public health benefits. The introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in 2011, for example, led to a 92 percent reduction in invasive pneumococcal disease among children under five.
Experts say the economic benefits are also significant. Treating illnesses caused by resistant pathogens can be costly for both families and the health system.
For instance, treating pneumonia can cost between Sh7,000 and Sh23,000, while producing a vaccine dose may cost only a few hundred shillings.
“Improving vaccine coverage could significantly reduce infections that would otherwise require antibiotic treatment,” Onsare said.
However, experts warn that challenges such as vaccine shortages, limited health resources and vaccine hesitancy still hinder broader immunisation coverage in some parts of the country.
Strengthening vaccination programmes, they say, could be one of the most effective ways to reduce infections, lower antibiotic use and slow the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
