Health officials in Kisumu County have stepped up disease surveillance and public awareness campaigns amid concerns about the risk of Ebola spreading into the region.
Kisumu County Director of Public Health and Sanitation Fredrick Oluoch said the county was strengthening community engagement and emergency response systems to prepare for a possible outbreak.
Speaking at Mama Grace Onyango Social Hall alongside Ministry of Health officials, Oluoch said two suspected Ebola cases previously investigated in the county had tested negative.
He added that no active outbreak had been reported locally, but authorities remained vigilant because of outbreaks and imported cases in neighbouring countries, including Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The county is working with research and diagnostic institutions, including the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and the National Public Health Laboratory, while putting in place isolation facilities and quarantine procedures.
“We are here with the team from the Ministry of Health to sensitise the public and engage communities in public participation on the proposed establishment of the Kenya Centre for Disease Control,” Oluoch said.
He warned that preparedness levels varied across the country, calling for a coordinated national system to strengthen disease surveillance, outbreak management and emergency response.
“Preparedness is not uniform across the country. What we are looking for is a system where the Kenya CDC takes charge of disease outbreaks, surveillance and response,” he said.
Oluoch also highlighted the severity of Ebola, urging the public to take preventive measures and report suspected infections promptly.
He cited high fatality rates associated with Ebola, although the risk of death varies depending on the virus species, access to treatment and the quality of care.
The director said a public health order had been signed by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, giving public health and medical officers a framework for implementing measures aimed at containing the disease.
“There is already an Ebola order signed by the Cabinet Secretary for Health. Public health officers and other health officials now have to implement it,” Oluoch said.
Health officials urged residents to remain alert to possible symptoms, which can include fever, severe headache, fatigue, weakness, muscle and joint pain, and unexplained bleeding in some cases.
They called on residents to seek medical attention if they developed symptoms consistent with Ebola and had a possible exposure, while avoiding contact with anyone suspected of being infected.
The county said continued surveillance, public awareness and coordination with national health authorities would be essential to detecting and containing any potential outbreak.
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