The government has embarked on fresh efforts at strengthening how the country detects and responds to disease outbreaks, in a bid to raise the level of public health security and protect communities from emerging health threats.
During a strategic leadership meeting this week, the Ministry of Health once again affirmed its commitment to the Kenya National Public Health Institute (KNPHI) with a lead responsibility in coordinating national emergency preparedness and response.
Director of Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni led the meeting with KNPHI authorities where they discussed advancements in adopting enhanced disease surveillance and emergency coordination systems.
Enhancing early detection, prevention, and swift response to health emergencies was the central theme of discussion.
Muthoni emphasized the requirement for a networked system of disease detection, testing, data analysis and response.
She further stated that better coordination between the national and county governments would prepare the governments to respond faster and more effectively to health threats.
Strategies in responding to outbreaks and how to incorporate the Strategic Plan’s monitoring and evaluation framework into the overall goal of the Ministry to have a firmly established emergency preparedness system at the national level were also addressed during the meeting.
