Kenya steps up surveillance, response measures to curb mpox

Nairobi – Kenyan health authorities have implemented a raft of preparedness and response measures to swiftly detect and halt the spread of mpox, which was confirmed in the country on 31 July 2024.

Kenya along with Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda have confirmed cases of the clade 1b mpox variant, which was first detected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is believed to be more severe and transmissible. The rapid spread of clade 1b was among the factors for the declaration of the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern by World Health Organization (WHO) on 14 August 2024.

Currently 14 countries in the African region are reporting cases since the start of 2024, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo accounting for around 90% of all cases. Kenya has so far recorded five mpox cases, with no deaths. Four out of the five cases were imported from neighbouring countries, while the fifth is a contact of one of these cases, meaning that there is possible community transmission in the country.

Kenya’s Ministry of Health, with support from WHO and partners, has developed an mpox national preparedness and response plan that has identified 14 high risk counties along the Northern Corridor, a busy transport route that runs from the Kenya-Uganda border to the port city of Mombasa, where rapid response teams have been deployed to intensify surveillance.

More than 930 000 travellers have been screened so far for mpox at 26 of Kenya’s 35 points of entry. Meanwhile, 137 health workers and 555 staff at two of the country’s main airports in the capital Nairobi have been trained on how to identify symptoms, as well infection prevention and control measures. WHO provided training materials and technical support; similar trainings are ongoing at four land points of entry.

“We have focused on the provision of appropriate messages on prevention and control of mpox by engaging communities and schools in these at-risk areas, while surveillance has also been heightened by contact tracing and screening of travellers at points of entry in line with WHO’s temporary recommendations,” says Dr Daniel Langa’t, Head of the Division of Disease Surveillance and Response at Kenya’s Ministry of Health.    

To enhance diagnostic capacity, WHO has supported the Ministry of Health’s procurement of laboratory supplies to a total value of US$ 62 000. This includes more than 100 PCR diagnostic kits to test up to 7500 suspected mpox samples, as well as equipment to collect, preserve and transport viral specimens from the field to the laboratory.

The Organization has also helped to coordinate an emergency taskforce of health sector partners and supported the development of a risk communications and community engagement response plan.  

“We have gained skills on early recognition of signs for mpox, improved sanitation and hygiene mechanisms, and most importantly gained the right information on how mpox is transmitted and can be prevented,” says Moses Tarus, a ground safety flight officer at Wilson Airport.  

Kenya is one of 14 affected countries in the African region to be included in a new US$ 600 million joint continental plan between WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to ramp up mpox preparedness and response.

“Kenya has been proactive and fleet-footed in targeting its early interventions to this outbreak to points of entry and border counties,” says Dr Abdourahmane Diallo, the WHO representative to Kenya. “We will continue to support the country as it continues to build on this positive foundation, working together to stop mpox in its tracks.”