Lodwar – 3rd September, 2024 (Public Communications and Media Relations)

The County Department of Health and Sanitation has developed an Emergency preparedness and response plan to prevent a possible mpox outbreak in the county following the confirmation of Kenya’s first case on 31st of July, 2024.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), even one case is considered an outbreak.

Turkana is classified as a high-risk county due to several factors, including its three international borders—Uganda, South Sudan, and Ethiopia.

Besides, Congolese fish traders interact closely with fisherfolk along the Lake Turkana. The influx of new refugees from affected countries into Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Settlement further aggrevates the risk.

WHO and the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ACDC) declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) in mid-July 2024.

The plan was unveiled during an mpox sensitization meeting, supported by Core Group Partners’ Project through the International Rescue Committee, targeting the County Health Management Team and partner representatives.

The hybrid meeting had 65 participants attending virtually.

The County Health Executive, Longole Wangoris, emphasized the importance of health worker safety in the preparedness plan and highlighted the need to have personal protective equipment (PPEs).

“The department will also be seeking to establish an emergency operations center, an important part of the preparedness good practice,” he said.

He also mentioned plans to engage with relevant stakeholders including Water and Tourism sector players for support in surveillance and public sensitization, noting the significance of proper messaging.

Chief Officer for Preventive and Promotive Health, Cathra Abdi, emphasized the need to borrow from previous plans on COVID-19 and, comparison of the current plan with those from jurisdictions with shared characteristics.

Dr Ezekiel Etelej of Medical Services, suggested adapting mpox guidelines that are under development by the National Ministry of Health to suit Turkana’s specific situation.

The Director of Public Health Alfred Emanman moderated the session and made presentations on mpox covered global and current situations, surveillance and reporting, case management, and risk communication and community engagement.

The members of the eight sub-committees of the emergency response team were presented.

The committees included surveillance and reporting, case management, risk communication and community engagement, monitoring and evaluation among others.

Partner representatives from IRC, the Kenya Red Cross Society, UNHCR Kenya, and USAID Imarisha Jamii also participated in the meeting.