Kenya and Morocco have started a cochlear implant program worth more than 120 million Kenyan shillings as part of a humanitarian collaboration between the Voice of Children Foundation Kenya, led by First Lady Rachel Ruto and the Lalla Asmaa Foundation of Morocco, directed by Princess Lalla Asmaa. The program, which aims to restore sense of hearing for hundreds of children with severe deafness, involves implants, some surgical procedures, continuous training for medical teams and thorough post-operative follow-up to guarantee auditory rehabilitation and the young beneficiaries’ school integration.
Kenya and Morocco have teamed up to give youngsters who are profoundly deaf a second chance at life. An ambitious cochlear implant scheme worth about USD 928,000 has been initiated by the two nations. The Lalla Asmaa Foundation of Morocco, headed by Princess Lalla Asmaa and the Voice of Children Foundation Kenya, led by First Lady Rachel Ruto, are leading this medical and humanitarian effort.
Morocco will supply the implants, perform some of the surgical procedures and instruct Kenyan medical teams in accordance with the agreement made by the two foundations. Kenyatta National Hospital will host the initial procedures, which will thereafter continue in Morocco in early 2026. In order to guarantee the young patients’ complete school integration, post-operative care and auditory rehabilitation are planned.
This collaboration demonstrates the strength of South-South cooperation in Africa, an innovative model of solidarity that combines investments in human resources, medical innovation and skill transfer. According to national data from 2021, hearing issues impact around 4,800 children per 100,000 in Kenya, highlighting the need and necessity of this continental effort.