Dr Michael Lusiola tapped to head Kenya Biovax Institute.
Dr Michael Lusiola, who has has been appointed as the chief executive and Director General of the Kenya Biovax Institute.
BY HELLEN SHIKANDA
Dr Michael Lusiola, a senior health executive and expert in the pharmaceuticals industry has been appointed as the chief executive and Director General of the Kenya Biovax Institute.
The announcement was made on June 13 by the Board of Directors of the Kenya Biovax Institute led by their chairperson, Mugo Kibati.
Dr Lusiola will take the mantle from Dr Rabera Kenyanya, who has been acting as the chief executive cum Director General since December last year.
“We are confident that, after a competitive recruitment process, we have found in Dr. Lusiola, a healthcare and business leader who will head the organization with distinction, scientific innovation, commercial business acumen and integrity,” said Mugo Kibati, chairperson of the Board of Directors, Kenya Biovax Institute in a statement.
The new CEO starts his role this month, transitioning from a seven-year stint as Director of Patient Safety (Pharmacovigillance) at AstraZeneca.
The Health ministry describes Dr Lusiola as an established pharmaceutical researcher and development business executive with over 20 years of experience in a multinational setting. The ministry is hopeful that he will be instrumental in shaping the Biovax dream by bringing a wealth of extraordinary medical-scientific knowledge and expertise as a dynamic and respected leader.
The Kenya Biovax Institute whose plant will be situated at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) grounds in Embakasi, Nairobi, will be home for the country’s manufacturing plant for vaccines, gene therapies and assistive medical and diagnostic devices.
The institute which is still fairly new will see to it that the manufactured commodities benefit Kenyans and its neighbours and ensure commercialisation of the aforementioned human health products and technologies.
The Health ministry announced last year at a meeting with editors that it has pumped Sh2.5 Billion to help actualise the country’s dream of being self-reliant in Human health products and technologies production.
President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered for the operationalisation of the Institute by April this year and its leaders, Dr Lusiola now at the helm, will see to it that the vaccine manufacturing dream comes alive.
Dr. Lusiola attained his graduate and post-graduate academic qualifications from the Harvard University in the United States (post-graduate, global public health), The University of Reading in the United Kingdom (post-graduate, business management and administration), the University of Liverpool and Aston in the United Kingdom (post-graduate, evidence-based medicine) and the University of Nairobi Kenya (undergraduate, pharmacy).
He is a member at the Institute of Clinical Research (MICR) in the United Kingdom, the Royal Society of Medicine (MRSM) UK, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (MRPS) in the UK and the International Society of vaccines.
The National COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment Plan, led by Dr Willis Akhwale has set target for Kenya to be have an independent vaccine manufacturing capability by 2024.
