The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has committed approximately KSh194 million to support Kenya’s response to the Ebola outbreak, including deploying 10 public health experts to strengthen containment efforts.
Africa CDC Director-General Dr Jean Kaseya announced the support on Tuesday, October 27, after meeting Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale in Nairobi to review measures taken to contain the Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak.
The support package, valued at approximately US$1.5 million, includes financial, technical and operational assistance to boost surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing, case management and community engagement.
Africa CDC will also provide laboratory reagents and diagnostic test kits to help health teams detect infections and respond to suspected cases.
In addition, the continental health agency will supply equipment worth approximately US$350,000 to strengthen Kenya’s Public Health Emergency Operations Centre and improve its capacity to coordinate public health emergencies.
Kaseya commended the Kenyan government for its response to the outbreak and reaffirmed Africa CDC’s commitment to working with the Ministry of Health to prevent further transmission.
He said Kenya’s response was important not only for protecting its population but also for reducing the risk of the virus spreading across borders.
The support comes as Kenya continues to monitor people who may have been exposed to the virus. On October 26, the Ministry of Health confirmed that the first 20 contacts had completed the mandatory 21-day monitoring period and were released from quarantine.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Kenya had reported nine confirmed cases, including two deaths, by October 26. All the cases were linked to one cluster, with no evidence of wider community transmission at the time.
The remaining contacts are expected to leave quarantine in phases, subject to health assessments, as surveillance and other containment measures continue.
The outbreak has also raised regional concerns following the detection of cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria, prompting calls for stronger cross-border surveillance and cooperation.
To strengthen the continental response, Africa CDC has convened an extraordinary meeting of African health ministers on Wednesday, October 28. The meeting is expected to assess the evolving outbreak, coordinate support for affected countries and agree on urgent measures to prevent further spread.
Duale and Kaseya emphasised the importance of cooperation between national governments and continental health institutions in responding to public health emergencies.
The latest commitment adds to efforts to strengthen Kenya’s outbreak response as health authorities continue surveillance, contact tracing and treatment of confirmed patients.
