Kenya: Kephic 2026 to Focus On Disease Prevention and Climate Health Risks

What the report says

Kenya will host the Kenya Public Health International Conference, or KEPHIC 2026, at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi from October 27 to 29, according to Capital FM’s report distributed by AllAfrica. The meeting is expected to gather public health officials and other stakeholders to discuss how to strengthen health systems and improve preparedness for disease outbreaks and other emergencies.

The conference agenda will center on disease prevention, surveillance, pandemic readiness, primary healthcare and climate-related health risks. Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni has urged government agencies, directorates and divisions to help with preparations, underscoring the event’s role in the country’s wider public health planning.

The report said the conference is taking place as Kenya prepares for anticipated El Niño rains, which may raise the risk of vector-borne illness. It also noted that authorities are monitoring several ongoing health concerns, including mpox, measles and polio. As of September 12, the article said Kenya had logged 1,309 confirmed mpox cases and 19 deaths across 40 counties, 469 measles cases and one death, and one confirmed case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 in Dadaab, Garissa County.

Taken together, the conference reflects the government’s push to coordinate prevention and response efforts as climate and infectious disease pressures overlap. The article frames sustained surveillance and coordinated action as important to Kenya’s ability to respond to both current and emerging threats.