Date and Time
Saturday, October 10, 2026, 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
*From 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. and starting at 3:00 p.m.: A networking session lasting about one hour is scheduled to take place at the venue.
Venue
Hybrid Event
・Venue: JICA Ichigaya Building, 2nd Floor, International Conference Hall
・Online (Zoom): We will send the meeting ID to those who have registered for online participation at a later date.
Organizer
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Language
English (with simultaneous interpretation into Japanese)
Participation Fee
Free
Capacity
In-person: 60 people
Online: 500 people
Points to Note
*Please note that the photos taken may be published at a later date.
Seminar Overview
In Africa, against the backdrop of the establishment of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) and progress toward the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), efforts are underway to harmonize pharmaceutical regulations and promote market integration. Furthermore, improving the distribution of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and diagnostic agents, strengthening local manufacturing, and establishing quality assurance systems are becoming increasingly important both for promoting Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and for enhancing the capacity to respond to health crises, as well as for fostering sustainable industrial development.
Kenya, in particular, serves as an economic and logistics hub in the East African region and plays a key role in promoting regulatory cooperation and the harmonization of pharmaceutical regulations within the East African Community (EAC). In recent years, efforts have been underway to introduce “Regulatory Reliance”—a system whereby countries mutually recognize the review results of each other’s regulatory authorities—as well as initiatives aimed at future mutual recognition, which are expected to streamline companies’ access to markets in multiple countries. Furthermore, efforts are underway to strengthen local manufacturing and research and development capabilities for pharmaceuticals and medical devices, making Kenya a focal point as a gateway to the African market. On the other hand, as Japanese companies consider entering or expanding their operations in the African market, they face various challenges, including a lack of information on regulatory systems and market conditions, the opacity of approval processes, and difficulties in securing local business partners.
This seminar will bring together representatives from Kenyan regulatory authorities and quality control agencies, as well as business leaders from both Japan and Kenya, to share the latest trends in regulatory harmonization, quality assurance, research and development, and local manufacturing in Africa. We will also discuss the challenges and expectations facing Japanese companies expanding into Africa, as well as the potential for public-private partnerships, and explore directions for cooperation that will enable Japan and Africa to create value together.
Program (in Japanese and English)
Time Japanese 10:00–10:10 Opening Remarks 10:10–10:20 Guest Speeches 10:20–10:50 Presentation 1: Transformation of the Kenyan Healthcare Market—Opportunities Brought by Regulatory Harmonization and Local Manufacturing 10:50–11:05 Presentation 2: Strengthening Quality Assurance Systems and the Role of Quality Control Organizations in Kenya 11:05–11:20 Presentation 3: The Importance of Integrated Initiatives Across the Entire Value Chain 11:20–12:00 Q&A 12:00–13:00 Lunch & Networking 13:00–13:10 Kenyan Company Case Study 1: Challenges and Growth Strategies for Local Manufacturing in Kenya 1:10 PM–1:20 PM Kenyan Company Case Study 2: Challenges and Growth Strategies for Local Manufacturing in Kenya + Logistics 1:20 PM–1:30 PM Japanese Company Case Study 1: Japanese Companies’ Expansion into Africa and the Potential for Public-Private Partnerships 1:30 PM–1:40 PM Japanese Company Case Study 2: Japanese Companies’ Expansion into Africa and the Potential for Public-Private Partnerships 1:40 PM–2:30 PM Panel Discussion: From Regulatory Cooperation to Business Collaboration 14:30–14:50 General Q&A 14:50–15:00 Closing Remarks 15:00– Networking
Registration
Please apply using the link below.
*Applications will close at 3:00 p.m. on October 8, 2026.
[Registration] Saturday, October 10: A Turning Point for the African Healthcare Market—A Kenya-Japan Healthcare Co-creation Ecosystem Pioneered by Regulatory Harmonization and Local Manufacturing—
Contact Us
Namba, Human Development Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency (hmge1@jica.go.jp)
Azusa Audit Corporation, Advisory Division, Public Sector Advisory Department, Ogura (Yukiko.Ogura@jp.kpmg.com)
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