The government has stepped up Ebola surveillance measures along Kenya’s borders following renewed fears over the spread of the virus in neighbouring Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said Kenya is now setting up holding areas at major border points to isolate and manage any suspected Ebola cases before they enter the country.
Speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday, Duale said health officials have already been deployed at key entry points, with screening and verification teams working round the clock.
“Under serious screening and verification, we are also putting up a holding area within the border in the event that we get a case,” Duale said, adding that the country was fully prepared to handle any possible outbreak.
The CS revealed that mobile laboratories are already operational at the Kenya-Uganda and Kenya-South Sudan border points to help speed up testing and response.
While at the same time, three national laboratories are operating on seven-day shifts to test samples for possible infection in a bid to diagnose Ebola early on.
There is also a tracking program being rolled out by the government aimed at individuals who have traveled to areas that have been affected in the past one month.
As per Duale, the authorities are actively looking for and testing individuals that may have gone to such areas in Uganda and the DRC in the past one month.
“Anyone we think has been in the affected area in the past one month, we are testing them,” he explained.
Duale also appealed to Kenyans to remain alert and report anyone showing symptoms after travelling from affected countries.
“I would like to appeal to all your relatives who have symptoms of sickness after visiting Uganda or DRC to proceed to the nearest medical institution,” Duale said.
This alarm is being raised in light of the outbreak of cases caused by the Sudan variant of the Ebola virus in Uganda, causing fear among many East African nations trying to ensure that the disease does not cross their borders.
In this regard, officials report that no confirmed cases of Ebola have been detected so far in Kenya even as surveillance activities are on-going at the country’s airports, borders, and other hot spots.
“The number of individuals screened has surpassed 48,000 in suspected cases,” according to the Ministry of Health.
Further, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority is issuing a travel warning which demands health screenings for anyone travelling into or out of the country.
Notably, air travel is going on normally into and out of the nation.
These moves come amidst global fears following the revelation that the United States planned to airlift some of its citizens infected with Ebola in the area to Kenya for treatment.