The United Nations has allocated more than $2 million to strengthen Ebola preparedness and response efforts in Kenya amid reports of confirmed cases and ongoing contact tracing.
The funding, provided through the Kenya Humanitarian Fund managed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), will support government-led interventions implemented with humanitarian partners.
The resources will be used to enhance disease surveillance at border crossing points and train rapid response teams and frontline health workers to respond to potential infections.
The funding will also support preparedness along high-risk refugee and travel routes linked to the Kakuma refugee complex in north-western Kenya.
Additional measures include supplying emergency health and infection prevention kits, as well as conducting public awareness campaigns to educate communities on Ebola prevention and early detection.
As of October 20, nine confirmed Ebola cases, including two deaths, had been reported, according to the update. All the cases were linked to an earlier case reported that month.
There was no evidence of community transmission at the time of the update. However, contact tracing had identified 134 additional people who may have been exposed to the virus and had been placed under quarantine.
The funding is intended to strengthen early detection, preparedness and response capacity as health authorities continue monitoring potential exposures.
