•The cabinet has recognised that the hub will place Kenya in a favorable position to respond to health-related emergencies
•It will serve as a modern storage centre for essential medical equipment and consumables
Image: PCS
The Cabinet on Monday gave a green light for the establishment of the WHO regional emergency hub in Nairobi.
This is after the Cabinet chaired by President Willian Ruto reviewed and approved an MoU between Kenya and the World Health Organization regarding the establishment of a regional emergency hub in Nairobi.
The cabinet has recognised that the hub will place Kenya in a favourable position to respond to health-related emergencies while creating employment opportunities and local markets for medical supplies.
“The Cabinet also noted that previous disputes concerning the property have been resolved through stakeholder engagement,” a dispatch from the Cabinet said.
The MoU was signed by the Health CS Susan Wafula and the WHO Kenya country Representative Abdourahmane Diallo on April 24.
The groundbreaking for the WHO Regional Emergency Hub has already been done becoming the third regional emergency hub in Africa to support countries in the region in responding to public health emergencies.
It will serve as a modern storage centre for essential medical equipment and consumables that will ensure timely logistical support to countries with emergencies in Eastern and Southern Africa.
The hub will also house a centre of excellence specialised in capacity building in health and crisis emergency management.
"The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of preparedness and response in the face of health emergencies," the CS said.
"One of the biggest challenges that the Government faced in the response is the lack of essential commodities such as personal protective equipment and Covid-19 vaccines due to the global supply chain challenges and vaccine apartheid," she added.
According to the CS, the hub will also enhance Kenya's ability to coordinate with other countries in the region.
This will be done through partnerships with regional bodies such as the African Union and the East African Community in an effort to ensure a collective response to emergencies.
WHO has also played a key role in helping Kenya to develop disease-specific contingency plans including viral hemorrhagic fevers, pandemic influenza, cholera, Rift Valley fever and polio.