Kisumu County has intensified surveillance and emergency preparedness measures, amid growing concerns over the risk of Ebola transmission through its busy regional transport networks, even as health officials confirm that no case has been detected in the county.
The county has been classified among Kenya’s high-risk areas for Ebola due to its strategic location along transport routes linking Kenya with Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the wider Great Lakes region, where outbreaks continue to be reported.
With trucks, buses, aircraft and boats moving thousands of people through Kisumu every day, health authorities say the city’s role as a major commercial and transit hub increases the likelihood of an imported case.
“So given the fact that there is already an active outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, and Kisumu is part of the transport corridor with a lot of truck drivers coming here for fuel and buses using these routes, Kisumu really faces a high risk.
In fact, the national government has classified Kisumu under counties with a very high risk of transmission of Ebola,” said Kisumu County Executive Committee Member for Medical Services, Public Health and Sanitation, Dr. Gregory Ganda.
At dawn, fishing boats laden with fish dock along the shores of Lake Victoria as traders stream into the city from across the region.
The constant movement of people and goods has long powered Kisumu’s economy, but health experts warn that the same connectivity presents a challenge in preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
Ebola is a severe viral disease spread through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated materials.
Early symptoms often resemble malaria or influenza, making detection difficult in the initial stages.
They include sudden fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat, which can later progress to vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, organ failure and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
Dr. Ganda said health officials have been trained to look out for anyone who develops such symptoms, particularly after travelling to affected regions or coming into contact with suspected cases.
The CECM said the county has activated surveillance systems at health facilities and key points of entry, including Kisumu International Airport, major bus parks and Lake Victoria landing beaches.
“We have already activated our surveillance systems, not just in the places that you have mentioned, but also within health facilities as well. Currently we are conducting symptomatic screening as well as using temperature testing mechanisms to identify potential cases,” he said.
According to Dr. Ganda at least five suspected Ebola cases have been tested since regional outbreaks were reported with all samples returning negative results.
Port Health teams, he said, were conducting screening at Kisumu International Airport, while surveillance has been extended to cross-border bus terminals, lakeside beaches and high-traffic trading zones such as the Usoma area.
Public health officers have also been deployed to monitor and screen individuals considered at greater risk of exposure.
The county has meanwhile activated rapid response teams at county and sub-county levels and is training health personnel on case identification, specimen collection, testing protocols and isolation procedures.
“We’ve already activated the county rapid response team, and sub-county response teams are also being activated. We are conducting sensitizations to ensure they have adequate information on how to handle a suspected case, how to identify, collect specimens, and where to take them for testing, and how to isolate any positive cases,” Dr. Ganda said.
To strengthen preparedness, the county was working with Level Four hospitals to establish isolation units across all sub-counties.
“We are working with our level four facilities to set up isolation units within each sub-county. We are also mobilizing PPEs. We have some stocks left over from the COVID response, but they are not adequate in case of an outbreak, so we are mobilizing more,” he said.
Dr. Ganda said the county has established laboratory collaborations that would allow suspected Ebola samples to be transported and tested within hours.
“We have a collaboration with the laboratories, so we can take specimens and deliver them as soon as possible, within an hour or so. We hope that within a couple of hours, the lab can give us results,” he said.
Samples are also transported to Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) laboratories for testing, enabling rapid diagnosis and response.
Should a suspected case emerge, he added, trained response teams would be deployed immediately, drawing on expertise gained during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If a case appeared today, we have teams which have already been trained and also borrowing from their experience in the COVID response who will need to be deployed immediately to take up the case and move them to an appropriate isolation unit within one of our facilities,” he said.
The county is also working closely with neighbouring counties, the National Public Health Institute, the Ministry of Health and international partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO) to strengthen surveillance and response systems.
“We have active collaborations with our neighbouring counties, but also linkage with the National Public Health Institute and the surveillance and response structures. We keep getting materials from them, and we circulate them to our colleagues,” Dr. Ganda said.
However, despite the heightened alert, the county has not yet received additional funding specifically earmarked for Ebola preparedness.
“At this particular point, we haven’t had additional allocation for Ebola. However, this is being worked on. Teams have been told to draft a budget for Ebola preparedness and response, and hopefully we will have a budget available in the next few weeks,” he said.
He nevertheless assured residents that Kisumu remains Ebola-free and that health authorities are prepared to respond should the situation change.
“We would like to assure residents that we are actively working as the Department of Health to ensure that we are ready in case of any eventuality. But first, we are hoping that we can prevent the occurrence of any outbreak,” he said.
Dr. Ganda noted that lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly strengthened the county’s preparedness, particularly in infection prevention and control, isolation management and safe burial practices.
“COVID-19 gave us an opportunity to learn how to handle highly infectious agents. The concepts of isolation and safe burials were new, but hopefully that experience will help us in the management of Ebola since the concepts are similar,” he said.
However, the County Executive cautioned that informal cross-border entry points remain a concern because of limited screening and monitoring mechanisms.
The county, he said, was working to expand surveillance in such areas to close potential gaps in detection.
by Dorothy Pamella
