A bold new chapter in East Africa’s healthcare transformation begins this October as World Health Expo (WHX) Nairobi convenes thousands of health leaders in a renewed effort to tackle Kenya’s severe shortage of healthcare workers.
The three-day event, taking place from October 6-8, 2025, at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, comes at a critical time. Kenya currently produces just 7,650 new health workers annually, far below the 70,000 needed to meet current demand.
A recent World Health Organisation (WHO) assessment warns that this gap could reach 170,000 by 2035 if urgent action is not taken.
“Kenya’s journey toward Universal Health Coverage is grounded in the principle of Primary Health Care,” said Desta Lakew, Group Director of Partnerships & External Affairs at AMREF Health Africa.
“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.”
Now rebranded from Medic East Africa and Medlab East Africa, WHX Nairobi and WHX Labs Nairobi mark a strategic evolution in Kenya’s flagship healthcare platform. Supported by Kenya’s Ministry of Health, Africa CDC, Kenya Healthcare Foundation, and Kenya Medical Association, the events will feature over 300 exhibitors, 8000+ attendees, 65+ international speakers, and representation from more than 20 Counties.
This year, WHX Nairobi will host the first-ever Healthcare Leaders Ministerial Roundtable, backed by President William Ruto and the Ministry of Health. The high-level forum aims to deliver sustainable solutions to the health workforce crisis by aligning policy, investment, and innovation.
“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,” said Tom Coleman, Portfolio Director at Informa Markets, organisers of the event.
With Kenya’s population expected to exceed 63 million by 2030, healthcare demand is growing at 4.7% per year, outpacing workforce growth at 3.4%. Despite Kenya’s Vision 2030 commitment to Universal Health Coverage, a recent KSh38.7 billion budget cut threatens the delivery of essential services.
Expert alarm
Experts warn that only a shift in health workforce planning and increased investment across public and private sectors will avert a deeper crisis.
The event will also spotlight initiatives targeting training and workforce sustainability. WHX Labs Nairobi will present CPD-accredited conferences covering diagnostic workforce shortages, laboratory management, molecular diagnostics, and genomics. In addition, country pavilions from Egypt, South Africa, and Brazil will showcase emerging technologies and medical innovations.
Social sustainability initiatives will also feature prominently. Rays of Hope, in collaboration with IAEA and GE Healthcare, aims to address East Africa’s shortage of trained radiologists, while the Women 50/50 programme, led by Philana Mugyenyi, promotes gender balance in healthcare leadership.
“With a packed agenda of expert-led discussions and product demonstrations, WHX Nairobi and WHX Labs Nairobi are designed to empower attendees with the tools to drive real change,” Coleman said.
“From digital healthcare to precision medicine, this is where Kenya’s health future will be shaped.”
WHX Nairobi forms part of the World Health Expo (WHX) network, the world’s leading platform for healthcare events and knowledge exchange. Globally, WHX spans 15 in-person exhibitions and over 110 conferences, with a community of 600,000 healthcare professionals.
