Kenya Medical Research Institute has launched a modern facility to improve diagnosis, boosting the fight against infectious diseases like pneumonia, tuberculosis and cholera.

The media culture manufacturing facility was launched in Nairobi Tuesday, the first in East and Central Africa, and will enable doctors to correctly detect infectious diseases.

Kenya has been importing laboratory media culture which experts say have short shelf life. “The imports mostly end up expiring shortly after getting into the country,” said Kemri director Solomon Mpoke.

Prof Mpoke noted that lack of ready-to-use laboratory media culture has in the past hindered the country’s ability to effectively respond to disease outbreaks.

“For instance, Kenya is currently suffering from a cholera outbreak yet it took weeks for health practitioners to recognise what was going, said Dr James Kinuthia, the head of the media culture manufacturing facility at Kemri.