The Ministry of Health has issued an update on Mpox and the Marburg viruses following a multi-sectoral meeting held on Thursday, October 31, 2024.
In a statement on November 1, 2024, Principal Secretary for the Department of Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni said that the country had formed a task force to ensure coordinated efforts in detecting cases and responding to them.
She equally noted that the country was yet to detect any new cases of either MPox or the Marburg virus.
“Although Kenya has not reported any cases of Marburg Virus Disease, the task force is intensifying surveillance and response plans due to frequent travel and trade with Rwanda, where an outbreak was recently reported,” PS Muthoni noted.
According to the World Health Organisation, 14 countries in the African region have reported cases of the Monkeypox virus (Mpox) since the start of 2024, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo accounting for around 90% of all cases.
However, Kenya has reported 14 cases of the Mpox virus and a majority of the cases were observed in people travelling into the country through the borders.
According to the Ministry of Health, the cases are distributed in the counties of Nakuru, Kajiado, Bungoma, Taita Taveta, Busia, Momabasa, Makueni, Kericho, Kilifi and Nairobi.
During their previous update, the Ministry of Health indicated that one person had succumbed to the virus while five people were in health facilities undergoing treatment.
Mpox death
“The lone fatality occurred on October 11, 2024, involving a patient who had previously tested positive for Mpox and later recovered,” Health Cabinet Secretary Debora Barasa said on October 11, 2024.
They also revealed that eight others had been treated and discharged after they had fully recovered from the disease.
Muthoni says the ministry has extended its monitoring mechanisms by including various stakeholders from across the various regions of the country.
“The National Taskforce for Mpox and Marburg Virus Disease Preparedness was established by the Ministry of Health to provide strategic direction and coordination in addressing Mpox and Marburg Virus Disease threats. The task force brings together representatives from various government ministries, departments, agencies, the Council of Governors, and health sector partners to implement a coordinated and integrated response framework,” Muthoni said on Friday, November 1, 2024.
Additionally, the Ministry noted that the Incident Management System will oversee all operational aspects of the response, providing cohesive and strategic leadership.
