Lodwar – March 3, 2026 (Public Communication and Media Relations)
The County Government in collaboration with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), has concluded a specialized training for 30 officers drawn from the County Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Sub-County Rapid Response Teams (SCRRT).
The officers have been equipped with skills in surveillance, case management, infection prevention and control (IPC), and risk communication. This is towards strengthening outbreak preparedness and response centred on the All Disease Outbreaks Module (ADAMs), a digital outbreak preparedness and response tool.
Speaking during the session, Dr. Ameyo, Deputy Director for Medical Services, emphasized the importance of strengthening preparedness following recent regional health alerts.
“Our level of preparedness remains critical given county’s geographical position bordering neighboring countries and hosting Kakuma Refugee Camp,” he said.
This he said, coupled with the mobility of pastoral communities and the effects of climate change, the team must remain vigilant and prepared for both documented and anticipated outbreaks.
The officers were trained as Trainers of Trainers (ToTs) and are expected to cascade the knowledge and roll out the ADAMs platform to other stakeholders at the sub-county level.
Kipkorir Rotich, the County One Health Coordinator, noted that the primary objective was to build a proactive response system.
“The main goal is to prepare officers who will act as ToTs so that whenever we have a suspected case, we are able to promptly identify it and institute response measures to prevent further spread across the county,” he stated.
He added that the ADAMs tool is accessible via smartphones in both online and offline modes, enables real-time data entry, visualization, analysis, and interpretation for informed decision-making.
“The tool provides summarized information on linkages between confirmed, suspected, and contact cases. It is a self-help platform that saves time and strengthens coordination during outbreak response,” he added.
Dr. Karimi Muchiri from the CDC Foundation, stressed the value of real-time, case-based data in outbreak management.
“The training is important for the Ministry of Health, the County Government, and all stakeholders involved in outbreak response. ADAMs is an excellent tool for collecting and visualizing case-based data in real time,” he added.
The CDC Foundation has previously collaborated with the County Government during the 2025 Cholera outbreak and previously on Measles outbreak. Therefore, there is need to continually strengthen monitoring systems as part of preparedness for emerging and re-emerging diseases, including potential cross-border threats.
With teams now onboarded, there will be improved surveillance, faster response times, and enhanced coordination in managing outbreak situations across Turkana.
