14/10/2026
Partners from Kenya and Ghana have convened for the 2026 Annual Working Meeting of the Maternal Immunization Safety Surveillance Program (MISS-P).
As new maternal vaccines, including those against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Group B Streptococcus, become available, strong systems are needed to monitor their safety for pregnant women and their babies.
MISS-P is building these systems in Kenya and Ghana and led by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board in Kenya and the Food and Drugs Authority of Ghana, working with the African Medicines Agency, and supported by the Gates Foundation.
MISS-P uses active surveillance built on routine electronic medical records. It follows mothers from their first antenatal visit through delivery, and their babies up to six months of age, so that potential safety signals can be detected early.
During the meeting, teams shared lessons from pre-testing pregnancy databases and visited antenatal and maternity units to see how data are captured during routine care.
KEMRI supported pre-testing in Kenya and will lead the three-year Phase II in Kenya, in collaboration with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board. Phase II will also pilot the responsible use of AI to strengthen data quality and safety-signal detection, with human oversight throughout.
"KEMRI is proud to lead Phase II of MISS-P in Kenya, working hand in hand with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board. As new maternal vaccines arrive, mothers and families must be able to trust that their safety is being closely monitored, using evidence from our own health system,” said the Ag. VC/CEO, KEMRI, Prof. Elijah Songok.
In Kenya, the research is led by Dr. Hellen Barsosio Barsosio (Principal Investigator, KEMRI), with Co-Investigators Dr. Benard Omondi and Dr. Mercy Chepkirui (KEMRI), Prof. Angela Koech, PhD (Aga Khan University) and Dr. Wangeci Kagucia (KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme). In Ghana, the team is led by Prof. Kwaku Poku Asante of the Kintampo Health Research Centre, Ghana Health Service.
"We do not want to build a system that ends with us. We want one that outlives us and stands the test of time, for our mothers and children," said Dr. Barsosio.
AGA KHAN UNIVERSITY| KEMRI - Wellcome Trust| Pharmacy and Poisons Board| Ghana Health Service| African Medicines Agency| Gates Foundation| MiRNA Scientific, Inc.
