The amount will cover a three-tier response level system under the National Mpox Preparedness and Response Plan established by the Ministry of Health.
With five positive cases of Mpox confirmed in Kenya by the Ministry of Health, the government is plotting to spend Ksh6.7 billion of taxpayers’ money in readiness to curtail the spread of the virus.
The amount will cover a three-tier response level system under the National Mpox Preparedness and Response Plan established by the Ministry of Health. This plan seeks to guide coordinated public health action to stop the Mpox outbreak in Kenya and to reduce the risk of importation from neighbouring countries that are experiencing outbreaks including Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Rwanda.
Under the system, up to Ksh1.7 billion will go towards local containment of the spread of the disease and will be utilised for community-based surveillance, capacity building of health workers, provision of assorted PPEs, sanitation supplies, enhancing screening and putting up temporary isolation spaces.
In the second tier, Ksh2.3 billion will go towards controlling the regional spread of Mpox cases in less than five counties, the majority being Ksh941 million which will be used to train health workers.
A laboratory technician handling samples of tests for Mpox virus. /FILE
The third tier will see Ksh2.6 billion used to control the national spread, which involves five or more counties.
Broken down further, Ksh191 million will be spent on sensitization of healthcare workers, Ksh90 million on contact tracing and active case search, Ksh500 million on infection prevention and control interventions and Ksh159 million on laboratory support.
The plan, signed by Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni and Acting Director General for Health Dr Sultani Matendechero, will see high-risk areas include Busia, Bungoma, Eldoret, Kisumu, Kericho, Nakuru, Kiambu, Nairobi, Machakos, Kajiado, Makueni, Taita Taveta, Kwale Kilifi and Mombasa put under close watch as they are considered transit routes between Uganda and Mombasa in Kenya, with cross-border movement along border counties also considered a big threat.
PS Muthoni, who spoke during an assessment tour of the Llasit border post in Loitoktok and Namanga One-Stop Border Point in Kajiado County, confirmed an escalation of screening and response mechanisms to avert further spread especially through the points of entry into the country.
“So far, we have screened over 800,000 members of the public and travellers in all points of entry to our national laboratories we have been able to send 150 samples we have 143 who are negative and 2 results pending in the lab so once we get the results we shall establish if we have any new cases or they are also negative,” Muthoni said.
“We are keen on risk communication we have enhanced our communication and that is why I am also here, we are insisting that every traveller must go to the port authority and they must be screened.”
The Ministry of Health is working closely with county governments and other agencies to strengthen preparedness at all border points.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Mpox virus spreads from person to person through close contact, which includes skin-to-skin (such as touching or sex) and mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-skin contact (such as kissing) and can also include being face-to-face with someone who has it (such as talking or breathing close to another), which can generate infectious respiratory particles.
