Kenya Activates Ebola Response, Screens 55,000 Travellers

Kenya’s government has announced that it has activated its National Incident Management System and stepped up surveillance measures across its borders in response to the Ebola outbreak spreading in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

As part of these preparedness efforts, more than 55,000 travellers have been screened at various points of entry, with authorities confirming that all ten suspected cases tested so far have returned negative results.

Cabinet Secretary for Health Aden Duale disclosed this in a statement released on Wednesday, in which the government also confirmed it was in discussions with the United States government and other global partners on strengthening preparedness and response mechanisms for Ebola Virus Disease and other emerging public health threats.

“Kenya is ready. Kenya is capable. Kenya will continue to act responsibly in safeguarding both national and global health security,” Duale said in the statement, adding that the government would provide regular updates as the situation develops.

The health ministry said Kenya had designated laboratories for testing, strengthened coordination mechanisms at national and county levels and was working with regional institutions and international partners to enhance its response capacity, drawing on the country’s experience supporting previous major disease outbreaks including the West Africa Ebola outbreak of 2014 to 2016.

The statement emphasised that any arrangements regarding international health cooperation would be governed strictly by Kenya’s national laws, public health regulations, biosafety and biosecurity standards, and the government’s overriding responsibility to protect Kenyan citizens, frontline health workers and local communities.