The Uasin Gishu County Department of Health Services has conducted a training for health workers to strengthen preparedness against and response to a possible Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak, with emphasis on surveillance, infection prevention and control, case investigation and coordination.
Speaking during the training, Director of Preventive and Promotive Services Laban Kiprop said the County was strengthening the readiness of health teams to ensure a swift and effective response to any emerging health threat.
Kiprop said preparedness should remain a continuous process and urged health workers to remain vigilant, strengthen coordination and continuously improve response mechanisms.
“We must remain aligned in our preparedness efforts and ensure every health team is ready to respond to any emerging threat,” he said.
Public Health Emergency Operations Center Manager Jude Oduor highlighted the role of the Incident Management System (IMS) in coordinating Ebola preparedness and response, stressing the need for clearly defined roles and effective communication and coordination among response teams.
Oduor said effective coordination would be critical in ensuring suspected cases are identified, reported and managed promptly to prevent further transmission.
The training underscored the need for heightened preparedness in Uasin Gishu due to its strategic position and high population movement.
Health officials said Uasin Gishu hosts several specialised health facilities that attract patients from across the region, making Eldoret an important regional healthcare hub.
They noted that the County also hosts a major petroleum hub that records significant movement of trucks and transporters, while Eldoret Central Market serves as a major commercial centre for the North Rift, with extensive trade links to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other parts of the region.
They said the movement of patients, traders, transporters and other travelers increases the importance of robust disease surveillance, early detection and rapid response mechanisms to minimize the risk of Ebola being imported and subsequently transmitted within communities.
The preparedness exercise forms part of ongoing efforts by the County Health Department to strengthen its capacity to detect and respond to public health emergencies.
By Fredrick Maritim
