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By Lourdes Walusala
Nairobi- Two Ebola patients undergoing treatment in Kenya have tested negative for the virus, marking progress in the country’s efforts to contain an outbreak that has so far claimed two lives.
Speaking on Wednesday during an extraordinary virtual ministerial meeting on Ebola convened by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Kenya’s Director General for Health, Dr Patrick Amoth, who was delivering a statement on behalf of the Health Minister, said the two patients were among seven receiving supportive treatment and responding well to care.
The patients are awaiting a second round of testing before they can be considered for discharge.
Kenya has recorded nine confirmed cases of Bundibugyo virus disease, all linked to the country’s first imported case reported on October 6.
The initial patient, a Kenyan national who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through Uganda, subsequently died. Four family members and four healthcare workers who cared for him before Ebola was suspected were among those infected.
The infections have highlighted the risks facing frontline health workers, particularly when patients arrive at health facilities before an infectious disease is recognised.
“Four of our nine cases are healthcare workers infected in the line of duty before the disease was suspected. Protecting those who protect us through infection prevention and control, and provision of personal protective equipment must be a continental priority,” the statement read.
Despite the infections, Kenya has reported no evidence of community transmission, with all confirmed cases linked to the initial patient.
Of the 135 identified contacts, the first 20 completed their 21-day monitoring period and returned home on October 26. The remaining contacts are expected to be released progressively from November 3, subject to completing their monitoring periods.
Kenya has also strengthened surveillance at 26 points of entry, screening more than 720,000 travellers since the outbreak began in DRC in May.
According to the statement, the country has designated five laboratories, including two mobile facilities along the Ugandan border, with test results available within six to 12 hours. Nearly 5,000 healthcare workers have been trained, while 211 isolation and treatment beds have been made available.
However, access to medical countermeasures remains a major concern.
The statement noted that there are currently no licensed vaccines or specific approved treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease, leaving patients dependent on supportive care and investigational medicines whose supply remains uncertain.
Kenya called on Africa CDC and its partners to ensure early and equitable access to vaccines and therapeutics, particularly for contacts and frontline healthcare workers.
“Africa must not be the last to receive vaccines for an African outbreak,” the statement emphasised.
Kenya also pledged to strengthen cross-border coordination, share genomic sequencing data and keep travel and trade open while maintaining surveillance.
The meeting brought together African health leaders to coordinate a continental response to the outbreak, which has affected the DRC, Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria.
As the response continues, Kenya has called for sustained financing, stronger health worker protection and regional cooperation to prevent further transmission.
