Kenya’s Ministry of Health declared an Mpox outbreak after the first confirmed case was reported in Taita-Taveta County. Since then, 28 confirmed cases have been recorded across 12 counties as of 12th December 2024. Of these cases, 18 individuals (64.3%) have recovered, 9 (32.1%) remain hospitalized, and one death has been reported, resulting in a case fatality rate of 3.6%.
In response to the outbreak, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Preparedness Program, organized an Intra-Action Review (IAR) to evaluate the country’s preparedness and bolster containment efforts. The review engaged 120 participants, including 60 health experts and representatives from 13 counties such as Busia, Bungoma, Nakuru, Kericho, and Nairobi. These experts represented various roles, including disease surveillance coordinators, clinicians, vaccination logisticians, and risk communication specialists.
The review assessed seven key response pillars: surveillance and case investigation, points of entry and rapid response training, coordination and monitoring, risk communication, case management, water and sanitation, and laboratory systems. This exercise highlighted critical gaps, identified best practices, and culminated in a comprehensive action plan to enhance response capacity.
A Coordinated Approach to Combat Mpox
During the review, Dr. Daniel Langat, Head of the Division of Disease Surveillance and Response, emphasized the importance of a coordinated approach to tackle Mpox. He outlined the need to strengthen communication, improve diagnostic capacity, and enhance case management to ensure an effective response.
The action plan, which outlines 35 priority interventions, will be implemented over the next six months. These measures include:
- Integrated training for health workers to detect and manage Mpox cases effectively.
- Harmonization of surveillance tools for accurate and timely case reporting.
- Deployment of rapid response teams to outbreak hotspots.
- Operationalization of county public health emergency funds to facilitate swift response.
- Establishment of isolation centres and case management units in affected counties.
Additional actions include improving laboratory capacity through prepositioning supplies, enhancing cross-border coordination, and deploying vaccines to high-risk populations. Community advocacy, sensitization, and integrating Mpox education into school health programs will also be prioritized to ensure widespread awareness.
Building Capacity and Engaging Communities
Dr. Grace Ikahu, Director of Public Health and Sanitation, underscored the importance of building capacity among healthcare workers to rapidly detect and respond to Mpox cases. She advocated for integrated approaches to manage Mpox alongside other diseases such as HIV, urging increased resource mobilization through partnerships.
Community engagement remains a cornerstone of Kenya’s response strategy. Dr. Ikahu emphasized the need for community-level education and advocacy to interrupt transmission and protect vulnerable populations.
Mombasa County Disease Surveillance Coordinator, Nasorro Mwanyalu, noted that the review was timely, highlighting its role in improving inter-county coordination, contact tracing, case management, and sample collection for laboratory diagnoses.
Collaborative Efforts for Effective Containment
The successful implementation of the IAR was supported by WHO and other health partners, including the US CDC, UNICEF, Kenya Red Cross, MSF, Africa CDC, AMREF, and KEMRI. Financial backing from USAID Kenya reinforced the collaborative nature of the initiative, showcasing the power of partnerships in addressing public health emergencies.
Kenya’s approach aims to interrupt community transmission while empowering frontline healthcare workers and engaging communities to prevent further spread. With the action plan in place, the Ministry of Health and its partners remain committed to enhancing readiness, strengthening partnerships, and implementing swift response mechanisms to contain Mpox and safeguard public health.
This coordinated response reflects Kenya’s determination to combat the outbreak, ensuring that both national and county-level health systems are better equipped to handle current and future public health challenges.
