Kenya’s Ebola task force meets to asses country’s preparedness
Kenya’s National Taskforce on the Ebola Virus Disease met on Thursday to conduct a situational review of Kenya’s preparation to deal with the disease which has broken out in the region.
The task force is comprised of stakeholders from both the government and development partners in health, academia, and research institutions.
Acting Director General for Health Patrick Amoth said several established groups have been identified, including Health Professional Associations and Community Advocacy groups, and are being brought on board.
He emphasized that the country is equal to the task, and that a teamis ready to deal with any tragedy that may occur.
“In response to the Ebola outbreak in Uganda, Kenya has set up & activated an Incident Management Team. A rapid risk assessment has been done in 20 high-risk counties. 9 alerts have so far been investigated & all tested negative for Ebola. We are up to the task,” Amoth said.
The Government approved the reactivation of the National Task Force on the Ebola Virus Disease following an Ebola outbreak in Uganda last month.
The Incident Management Team will be required to work closely with all of the county governments, with Uganda border counties taking the lead.
The experts have urged Kenyans to be more cautious and take preventive steps.
“We continue to call on Kenyans to maintain vigilance, public health and social measures, and inform the Ministry of any suspicious cases in the community,” Amoth said.
The World Health Organization on Wednesday announced 63 confirmed and probable cases of Ebola in Uganda, including 29 deaths, four of them being health workers.