•The profound challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic underscored the critical need to invest in early warning and prediction
•Kenya on Thursday joined the rest of the world in observing the International Day for Epidemic Preparedness
Image: Handout
The Ministry of Health has reaffirmed its commitment to invest in robust health systems capable of preventing, detecting, and responding promptly to outbreaks.
It has further called on Kenyans, health partners, and counties to join hands in strengthening the country’s health systems to ensure readiness to respond to new outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics.
In a statement on Thursday, Mary Muthoni, Kenya's Public Health Secretary, emphasized that the profound challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic highlight the crucial necessity of investing in early warning and prediction systems.
On Thursday, Kenya participated alongside the global community in commemorating the International Day for Epidemic Preparedness.
The day which was first commemorated in 2020, seeks to educate and raise awareness, in order to highlight the importance of the prevention of, preparedness for and partnership against epidemics.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Kenya has made strides in putting in place early warning and prediction systems and employing diverse surveillance systems encompassing routine data, community deaths, events and entry points screening.
Environmental and wastewater samples are rigorously collected and tested to detect potential infections circulating in the communities.
“Our commitment to advancing diagnostic capabilities, transitioning from molecular diagnostics to genetic sequencing, has significantly strengthened pandemic prevention efforts,” Muthoni said.
“The expansion of laboratory capacity, boasting over 100 PCR laboratories nationwide and a network of public health laboratories with 11 national reference laboratories underscores our dedication to staying at the forefront of health security,” the PS noted.
At the moment, the ministry, in collaboration with its partners, is conducting training for a versatile SURGE team.
This team consists of professionals from various disciplines, aiming to enhance their capabilities for efficient responses to pandemics at both local and regional levels.
To date, 120 professionals have completed the national training, and an additional 700 have undergone sub-national training sessions.
SURGE is a World Health Organisation’s initiative, “Strengthening and Utilizing Response Groups for Emergencies”.
This ongoing training equips them to effectively respond to pandemics at both local and regional levels, complementing routine capacity building on the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) Strategy
Since 2021, our Ministry of Health actively engaged in international processes led by the World Health Organisation, participating in the development of an international pandemic treaty.
The WHO advocates for governments to actively support initiatives aimed at fortifying emergency and epidemic preparedness systems.
Recognizing that the movement of humans, animals and goods can increase the transmission of diseases across borders, Kenya collaborates with other countries under various frameworks, including Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
Others include International Organization for Immigration (IOM), Regional Integrated Surveillance and Laboratory Network (RISLNET) coordinated by Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO.
The collaboration extends to cross-border surveillance committees, capacity strengthening at Points of Entry (PoE), and specialized training for surveillance staff, operational research, knowledge sharing, management and regional coordination.
According to the PS, the formation of a national health sector El Nino Taskforce, advisory issuance to all County Health departments, distribution of health commodities and deployment of national experts exemplified the commitment to proactive measures in the face of emerging threats.
“The reliance on the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) for national level coordination, coupled with the establishment of 18 county-level emergency operations centres, ensures a swift and coordinated response to health-related emergencies,” Muthoni noted.
Muthoni further noted that institutions like Kenya BIOVAX and the Kenya National Public Health Institute (KNPHI) play pivotal roles in strengthening Preparedness, Prevention, Response, and Recovery (PPPR) capacities, focusing on vaccine manufacturing and programme expansion.