Health CS Aden Duale said the Ministry of Health has undertaken facility readiness assessment and is continuing to strengthen capacity at the national referral facilities and counties considered at high risk.
Speaking in Parliament, Duale shared the measures the ministry has taken to manage and contain the threat of Ebola.
According to Duale, the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has prepared an 8-bed isolation and treatment unit and completed a dry run of how the index case will be handled. The facility also has a separate waste management system to support the safe handling of infectious waste.
The National Police Service Hospital has undergone assessment and has 49 beds ready for activation as part of the surge isolation capacity.
Duale said 29 counties have identified isolation and treatment facilities as part of the country’s outbreak preparedness measures. He noted that the Ministry, in collaboration with relevant regulatory agencies, is conducting on-site verification, quality assurance assessments, and spot checks to ensure the facilities meet required standards for infection prevention and control, patient flow, waste management, staff safety, and emergency referral systems.
He further revealed that Kenya has a standby workforce of 241 experts and responders ready for deployment to support surveillance, contact tracing, case investigations, diagnostics, and field response efforts. The team comprises 51 graduates of the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, 118 African Volunteer Health Professionals, and 72 Basic Health Emergency Management specialists.
Additionally, 1,069 national and county health workers have been sensitised on Ebola preparedness and response, strengthening the country’s capacity to detect and contain potential outbreaks.
He stated that the facilities put in place form part of Kenya’s national public health preparedness framework and have been established to strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to disease outbreaks, not to serve foreign nationals.
“These facilities are not established for the exclusive benefit of foreign nationals, foreign governments, or any special category of persons. They are intended to protect all persons within the territory of Kenya.”
While Kenya’s laboratory capacity remains strong, Duale noted that current stocks of specialised test kits, reagents, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) are only sufficient to manage approximately the first 200 suspected cases. He said there is a need for additional emergency financing and support from development partners to strengthen the country’s testing capacity and enhance overall outbreak preparedness.
He advised that any individual who develops fever, headache, vomiting, and diarrhoea after a recent travel to the affected areas should seek medical attention immediately and report the case through the public health hotline 719.
