Nairobi is among 22 counties classified by the Ministry of Health as potentially facing an Ebola outbreak as regional health authorities enhance surveillance following increased infections in neighboring Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The government, via the Ministry of Health, has intensified surveillance after neighboring Uganda reported three additional Ebola cases, raising the country’s total infections to five amid rising concerns about cross-border transmission throughout East Africa.
In a recent disease assessment, the Ministry of Health categorized the 22 counties into four risk levelsvery high, high, medium, and lowas part of initiatives to bolster preparedness and response capabilities.
Counties designated as high risk include Nairobi, Mombasa, Uasin Gishu, Busia, Kisumu, Bungoma, Siaya, Trans Nzoia, and West Pokot because of significant population movement and proximity to border crossings.
Additional counties flagged with elevated risk levels encompass Vihiga, Kakamega, Nakuru, Kericho, Nandi, Kiambu, Machakos, Makueni, Kilifi, Turkana, and Isiolo.
The elevated alert follows renewed warnings from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which elevated the national threat level in the DRC to “very high” and the regional risk level to “high” due to a surge in infections associated with the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.
According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the outbreak in the DRC may substantially exceed current reported figures.
“To date, 82 cases have been confirmed in the DRC with seven deaths, yet we recognize the epidemic is far more extensive,” Tedros stated.
Statistics as of Sunday, May 22, reported 177 suspected deaths in the DRC as concerns mount over the disease’s rapid spread, which has previously taken thousands of lives in the central African nation.
Notably, despite the escalating regional threat, the WHO maintained that the global risk level remains low.
To combat the spread, WHO has deployed international emergency response teams and allocated an additional $3.9 million (approximately Ksh503 million) for contingency funding.
“Alongside our national staff, we have deployed international personnel and allocated $3.9 million for emergency response,” he explained.
Additionally, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has coordinated a continental response designed to prevent further cross-border transmission of the virus.
Health experts have expressed concern about the Bundibugyo strain currently circulating in the region, noting it lacks an approved vaccine or specific treatment.
Nevertheless, scientists are reportedly developing a new vaccine candidate that may enter clinical trials within the next three months as global health authorities urgently seek medical interventions to contain the outbreak.