Kenya has reaffirmed its commitment to preventing a potential outbreak of Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease (BEVD), with the government maintaining that preparedness remains the country’s strongest defence despite having no confirmed cases.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Thursday chaired a high-level consultative meeting bringing together representatives of the United States Government, development partners and other stakeholders to assess the country’s Ebola preparedness and strengthen coordination.

The meeting reviewed progress made in national preparedness, identified critical gaps and sought to align partner support under a unified response framework.

“Preparedness remains the country’s strongest safeguard against emerging public health threats despite having no confirmed cases,” the Ministry of Health said in a statement.

According to the ministry, Kenya has continued to strengthen disease surveillance, screening at points of entry, laboratory capacity and emergency coordination systems under the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

The Kenya National Public Health Institute (KNPHI), through its Incident Management System, has identified 25 high-risk counties for intensified preparedness activities, technical support and resource allocation.

The ministry noted that Kenya has attained a 66 per cent Ebola preparedness score, reflecting significant progress while highlighting areas that still require improvement.

Duale acknowledged that challenges remain in case management, infection prevention and control, rapid response deployment, health workforce capacity and sustainable financing.

“Preparedness must be demonstrated through timely action rather than planning alone,” the Cabinet Secretary said, calling on development partners to fast-track support for isolation facilities, personal protective equipment, laboratory systems and deployment of trained healthcare workers.

He also stressed the need for coordinated efforts to avoid duplication and ensure resources are directed to priority areas.

The Cabinet Secretary commended the continued partnership between Kenya and the United States, saying the collaboration has strengthened disease surveillance, laboratory networks, workforce development and emergency preparedness.

He further reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability through the “One Plan, One Budget and One Monitoring Framework” to ensure efficient implementation of preparedness activities.