•Kenya is among three African Countries selected by the World Health Organisation to host a Logistics Hub
•The facility will be equipped with emergency medical personnel, commodities, and equipment to support Kenya and other countries in the region
The groundbreaking for the construction of a logistics hub in Nairobi is set to take place this month.
Kenya is among three African Countries selected by the World Health Organisation to host a Logistics Hub with a virtual meeting between the Ministry of Health and WHO taking place on Wednesday to fast-track the process.
The facility will be equipped with emergency medical personnel, commodities, and equipment to support Kenya and other countries in the region.
The logistics hub is expected to build and support capacity in disaster management systems, as well as technical expertise besides prioritizing high-profile disease-specific strategies and timely risk assessment.
The government has identified a site next to Kenyatta University, Teaching, Referral, and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) where the hub will be set up.
Africa CDC collaboration Centre and the Kenya National Public Health Institute have also been allocated land in the area.
This was disclosed in the meeting held between Health CS Mutahi Kagwe and WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti.
Kagwe reiterated the need for Kenya and the region to adequately prepare for the next pandemic adding that the Covid-19 epidemic provided critical lessons, especially for developing nations.
“One of the challenges we had during Covid-19 was supply. Moving forward, what we must be prepared for is the local supply of what might be needed in an emergency. It's important to not just build a hub but also think about local manufacturing support,” Kagwe said.
Moeti noted that there is a need to work around partnerships especially building an efficient workforce bearing in mind Kenya's expanded role adding that the Hub will be a Centre of Excellence in Emergency Medical Training.
“Research in Africa is funded from outside. We need to do national investments in line with your proposal. On training, we are keen on ensuring we have the people we require when we need them not just from Kenya but the region,” she noted.
The mounting human and economic toll of Covid-19 has brought the challenge of regional disease surveillance and control to the forefront of the policy discourse around global public health.
African countries have battled many outbreaks in the past, including several devastating Ebola virus disease epidemics and the recurrent ravages of cholera, yellow fever, and meningitis, among others.
These outbreaks compound the persistent burden of endemic diseases such as malaria, typhoid, and HIV.
CDC Kenya’s integrated approach to disease detection and response helps reduce the time it takes to identify and control public health risks, helping to stop dangerous outbreaks before they spread.
CDC Kenya works to help the Kenya government and other governments in the region detect and respond to serious public health threats, including in refugee camps where outbreaks frequently occur.
Additionally, CDC Kenya provides technical assistance to governments in the East Africa region to ensure rapid, coordinated detection and response and promote comprehensive outbreak surveillance.