Nakuru County is heightening surveillance and preparedness measures following the confirmation of an imported Ebola case in Kenya, with health authorities placing the county’s emergency response systems on high alert.

The county is particularly exposed because of its position along the busy transnational highway linking Nairobi to Western Kenya and neighboring countries, raising concerns over the movement of people and the potential spread of infectious diseases.

Moses Obiero, manager of the Nakuru Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC), says the county has activated its surveillance and response systems as part of efforts to detect and contain any suspected Ebola case.

“Our surveillance systems are on high alert, including the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre,” he says.

Obiero says the county has also intensified community-level sensitization, with Community Health Promoters (CHPs) being briefed on Ebola and their role in identifying possible cases.

“We have sensitized our CHPs and trained 36 selected faith leaders to help in sensitization of the community and faith congregants on Ebola while also helping to pick any suspected cases within the community,” he says.

He notes that the involvement of faith leaders is intended to strengthen surveillance beyond health facilities by ensuring that information on possible cases can reach health authorities from within communities.

The county has also reactivated its Rapid Response Teams, which are expected to investigate and respond to suspected cases.

“We have reactivated all our Rapid Response Teams both at the county and sub-county levels,” Obiero says.

He says the teams form part of the county’s existing preparedness and response structure and will be deployed depending on the nature of an alert or suspected case.

“We have our preparedness and response plan in place. The plan spells out all the possible scenarios and the actions expected both by the county and partners,” he says.

Aerial view of Nakuru City

Photo credit: LELETI JASSOR / MTAA WANGU

The preparedness plan comes as the county reviews its capacity to respond to a possible Ebola case, including the availability of facilities where suspected patients can be temporarily managed while investigations are undertaken.

Obiero says the county has already identified an isolation facility for suspected cases and each sub-county has at least a holding area for the purposes of managing cases and suspected cases.

He notes that health workers have also been trained to respond should a case be detected in the county.

“We have trained healthcare workers enough to respond to any case should we have a case,” he says.

The county’s measures are aimed at ensuring that a suspected case can be detected early, isolated and managed while the appropriate response mechanisms are activated.

With Nakuru serving as a major transport and commercial hub along the Nairobi-Nakuru-Eldoret corridor, health officials are also relying on community surveillance and rapid response systems to ensure that alerts do not go undetected outside health facilities.

Obiero says the county’s preparedness plan provides a framework for responding to different scenarios and coordinating the county’s response with its partners.

Nakuru health department on high alert after Kenya reports first imported Ebola case

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Leleti Jassor