NAIROBI, Kenya- President William Ruto has announced the establishment of a National Ebola Response Committee to coordinate Kenya’s preparedness and emergency response measures amid the ongoing Ebola outbreak in neighbouring countries.
Speaking after a high-level meeting at State House, Nairobi, President Ruto said the committee will oversee a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to strengthening surveillance, public awareness, emergency response and cross-border coordination.
The committee will be led by Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi.
Ruto said Kenya had already intensified screening and surveillance measures at 26 points of entry, including airports and border crossings, following the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
According to the President, more than 58,000 travellers have so far been screened, with all suspected Ebola cases testing negative.
The government has also identified 17 isolation centres across the country as part of preparedness measures in case of confirmed infections.
The State House meeting brought together ambassadors, development partners, multilateral agencies and representatives from international organisations to discuss regional coordination and support for Ebola response efforts.
Kenya is among East African countries that have heightened health surveillance following the spread of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in parts of eastern DRC and Uganda.
