WHX Nairobi and WHX Labs Nairobi to find sustainable solutions for critical deficit of healthcare workers

Kenya currently produces 7,650 new health workers each year, however the country needs 70,000 more to ensure every Kenyan who needs care gets access to it, according to a recent WHO assessment. 

This shortage of healthcare workers is expected to grow by more than 114,000 by 2030 and a staggering 170,000 by 2035, unless urgent action is taken to increase training programmes and the hiring of health workers. 

With over 300 exhibitors, 20 counties represented, 65+ international speakers and over 8000 attendees, WHX Nairobi, Kenya’s premier healthcare and lab event, takes place from 6 - 8 October 2025.

Nairobi, Kenya | June 2025: Kenya’s rapidly growing population, projected to exceed 63 million by 2030, is contributing towards the demand for healthcare services. While the health workforce is growing at an annual rate of 3.4 per cent, the demand for health services is rising even faster, at 4.7 per cent.  Without sufficient doctors, the health system cannot scale up to meet this demand, hindering progress toward Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) targets.

Despite Kenya’s commitment to implementing their Universal Health Coverage plan, as part of Kenya’s Health Sector Strategy and overall Vision 2030, there’s recently been a massive SH38.7 billion budget cut that could potentially significantly undermine the delivery of essential public health functions.

The solution is complex and will rely on a paradigm shift in health workforce planning, moving away from a “one-size-fits-all” approach, as well as the public and private sectors working together to increase investments in health employment. 

For the last seven years, Medic East Africa and Medlab East Africa have been the leading healthcare and laboratory events in Kenya. Now rebranded into WHX Nairobi and WHX Labs Nairobi, in partnership with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and supported by the Africa CDC, Kenya Healthcare Foundation, and the Kenya Medical Association, these events will be co-located at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Nairobi, Kenya, from 6 - 8 October 2025. 

Together WHX Nairobi and WHX Labs Nairobi will provide a platform to showcase healthcare innovations, attract investment, foster collaboration between businesses, governments and innovators - breaking geographical barriers for seamless healthcare solutions and positioning Kenya as a regional medical hub, as part of World Health Expo (WHX) - the world’s leading network of healthcare events.

Kenya and East Africa have a growing need for improved patient care, advanced laboratory solutions and sustainable healthcare.  WHX Nairobi and WHX Labs Nairobi meet this need by giving hospital executives, laboratory managers, procurement specialists, and government officials a place to drive positive change. 

This year, WHX Nairobi’s first-ever Healthcare Leaders Ministerial Roundtable, backed by President William Ruto & the Ministry of Health Kenya, will bring together policymakers and global leaders in an exclusive forum to drive strategic healthcare transformation and policy innovation, addressing the critical deficit of healthcare workers to find sustainable solutions that help address the region’s most pressing healthcare challenges.  The discussions will also include expanding medical education, improving laboratory science training, and creating incentives for rural practice.

“Kenya’s journey toward Universal Health Coverage is grounded in the principle of Primary Health Care. The five transformative health laws passed in 2023 have laid a robust foundation, ensuring equitable access to services, sustainable financing, interoperable digital systems, and a people-centred, data-driven health system. My hope for the WHX Nairobi roundtable is that it catalyses greater political goodwill and innovation toward scalable, people-first solutions that can be replicated across Africa,” comments Desta Lakew, Group Director of Partnerships & External Affairs, AMREF Health Africa.

VIPs in attendance this year with support from Kenya’s Ministry of Health include Deborah Barasa, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change & Forestry, Government of Kenya; Mary Muthoni Muriuki, CBC, HSC, Principal Secretary for Health Kenya, Ministry of Health; Lee Maiyani Kinyanjui, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry (MITI); Dr Mazyanga Lucy Mazaba, Regional Director, Africa CDC and Hon Beatrice Askul Moe, Cabinet Secretary, East African Community Affairs and Regional Development.

“By uniting policymakers, legislators, hospital executives, laboratory professionals, and healthcare leaders at WHX Nairobi and WHX Labs Nairobi, we are building on the legacy of the past seven years to address the key health matters concerning Kenya and the greater region as well as drive transformative health outcomes and accelerate improved patient care in Kenya,” notes Tom Coleman, Portfolio Director for Informa Markets.

WHX Nairobi conferences over the three days include Healthcare Policy & Investment, Digital Healthcare, Primary Healthcare, and a Leaders Forum supported by Kenya’s Ministry of Health.

From breakthrough medical technologies and digital health advancements to the latest in laboratory diagnostics and automation and precision medicine, WHX Labs Nairobi offers the latest insights, advancements in healthcare and diagnostics and connections that matter most.

Adds Coleman, “With a packed agenda of six CPD-accredited conferences, expert-led discussions and live product demonstrations, as well as new country pavilions from Egypt, South Africa and Brazil showcasing the latest healthcare products and technologies, attendees can look forward to gaining practical knowledge and connecting with industry leaders and experts from Kenya’s healthcare and laboratory industries.”

WHX Labs Nairobi conference topics will specifically address diagnostic workforce shortages through specialized training programs in laboratory management, clinical microbiology & parasitology, aws well as molecular diagnostics & genomics.  Discover the latest lab innovations and trends, develop your industry knowledge, build strong relationships with industry leaders and secure new deals on the show floor, all at WHX Labs Nairobi, the core medical laboratory event in the East Africa region.

Another first that will be introduced by WHX Nairobi are the two new social sustainability initiatives, designed to address the critical challenges of workforce development in healthcare. Rays of Hope, in partnership with IAEA and GE Healthcare, which will address the shortage of trained radiologists in East Africa, aiming to expand access to affordable cancer diagnostics and care, and the Women 50/50 programme, led by Philana Mugyenyi, is designed to promote gender balance in healthcare leadership across clinical and laboratory settings.

Join WHX Nairobi and WHX Labs Nairobi to drive healthcare advancement in Kenya and across the East Africa region.  To find out more and be part of the future of healthcare in Africa, register for WHX Nairobi and WHX Labs Nairobi by visiting: https://www.worldhealthexpo.com/events/healthcare/nairobi/en/home.html 

and https://www.worldhealthexpo.com/events/labs/nairobi/en/home.html