The Ministry of Health has designated 12 counties as extremely high-risk zones for Ebola transmission because of their positions along key transportation and commerce routes, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale informed Parliament.
Duale stated that Nairobi, Mombasa, Uasin Gishu, Busia, Kisumu, Bungoma, Trans Nzoia, West Pokot, Turkana, Homa Bay, Migori and Kisii have been categorized as extreme hotspots needing intensified monitoring and readiness protocols.
He linked this classification to the movement of individuals and commodities along the Northern Corridor transport network, which links the country to neighboring nations and functions as a significant trade pathway throughout the region.
Consequently, the Ministry of Health has increased screening, monitoring and readiness initiatives in these designated areas.
Duale also revealed that 13 more counties have been designated as high-risk and are receiving close attention.
These comprise Vihiga, Kakamega, Nakuru, Kericho, Nandi, Kiambu, Machakos, Kilifi, Makueni, Taita Taveta, Isiolo, Garissa and Elgeyo Marakwet.
The Cabinet Secretary informed Parliament that the national monitoring system has examined 22 Ebola alerts reported throughout the nation, all of which returned negative results.
The national monitoring system has investigated 22 alerts across the country and all have tested negative,” he stated.
According to Duale, the alerts originated in Nairobi, Kiambu, Siaya, Nyeri, Nakuru, Nyamira, Kisumu, West Pokot and Bungoma counties.
He noted that three recent alerts reported in Nairobi, Uasin Gishu and Bungoma were also examined and confirmed negative.
Duale stated that the country currently possesses test kits, reagents and protective gear adequate for managing approximately 200 Ebola cases.
I wish to be very transparent. Although laboratory capacity is robust, the test kits, reagents and protective equipment sufficient to manage about 200 patients are available,” he said.
The Cabinet Secretary mentioned that four laboratories have been selected for Ebola testing: the National Public Health Laboratory in Nairobi, KEMRI laboratories in Nairobi and Kisumu, and a mobile laboratory in Busia.
Given the extreme risk of the virus, four laboratories have been designated for Ebola testing,” he explained.
At the national level, Duale reported that Kenyatta National Hospital has prepared eight isolation beds and conducted a simulation exercise, while the National Police Service Hospital has allocated 49 isolation beds for potential Ebola cases.
He added that 29 counties have established isolation and treatment facilities, with Ministry of Health teams conducting on-site assessments of their readiness.
Duale also indicated that screening has been improved at priority entry points throughout the nation.
Screening has been enhanced through thermal scanners, holding rooms and ambulance systems, which are being evaluated and activated at all our priority entry points, including major airports and high-volume land border crossings,” he stated.
The country has intensified monitoring and readiness protocols following the Ebola outbreak in neighboring Uganda as health officials work to prevent the importation and transmission of the disease.