As concerns over Ebola continue to linger in parts of the region, Kenya’s Ministry of Health has moved to reassure Kenyans that the country remains on high alert and is strengthening its preparedness measures despite not having recorded any confirmed case of the Ebola disease.
On Tuesday, the ministry convened a high-level meeting bringing together directors and heads of divisions to assess Kenya’s readiness to respond to Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and other emerging public health threats.
The meeting involved discussions regarding the country’s preparedness strategies and ways to enhance the weak areas in order to facilitate prompt detection and quick reaction in case there is an outbreak.
According to the Ministry of Health, the nation is making investments to boost its surveillance and border screenings to prevent entry of the disease into the country.
The officials also deliberated the ongoing Ebola crisis and other diseases that can threaten the health security of the nation as well as its preparedness in that regard.
Some of the issues raised in the meeting included the readiness of health workers, the measures taken to prevent infections and the involvement of the community through awareness campaigns.
Moreover, the Ministry stated that part of the review involved assessment of the stockpile of personal protective equipment, quarantines and medicines among others.
The participants also reviewed the action plans and measures of accountability for individual directorates in efforts to foster coordination during disease outbreak situations.
Furthermore, the meeting deliberated on the collaboration framework among ministries as an effort to reinforce a whole-of-government approach towards public health emergency preparedness.
Despite Kenya not having reported any case of the Ebola virus disease, health authorities pointed out that preparedness is key due to the continued risk from the spread of diseases in the region.
The Ministry of Health reaffirmed its commitment to continuously bolstering health surveillance and preparedness systems to be well-placed to deal with any future public health emergency.
“The Ministry remains on high alert and committed to ensuring public health through strengthened preparedness, strengthened surveillance and response to possible disease outbreaks,” said the Ministry.