The Kenyan government has been informed that it needs to obtain permission from the United States before utilizing the Laikipia bio-isolation facility to isolate or treat patients with Ebola. This clarification comes after the US government stated that no request had been made to use the facility for any patient, and that it currently has no patients. The US has offered to support Kenya's response to the Ebola outbreak as needed.
The US has provided significant financial assistance to combat the Ebola outbreak, with a total of $887 million in direct health and humanitarian assistance since the outbreak began. This includes over $10 million in fresh support to Kenya's efforts to detect Ebola and prevent its spread. The US remains in close coordination with the Kenyan government to respond to the threat and protect US citizens.
A Kenyan citizen recently died of Ebola in Nairobi after traveling from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Kenyan government quickly responded and is conducting contact tracing on over 50 individuals. The US has partnered with Kenya for decades to build capacity to jointly combat epidemics and stands ready to support the response in Kenya as needed.
The Laikipia bio-isolation facility is part of the US government's holistic response to prevent the spread of the disease and lessen health risks for the region. The facility has not been used for any patients, and no requests have been made for its use. The US and Kenya have a long-standing partnership on health-related issues.
Kenyan Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale recently declined to say whether Kenya will need to use the Laikipia facility, citing a court matter. He emphasized that there is no Ebola outbreak in Kenya, but rather an imported incident. Duale also explained the process of confirming the Ebola case, which involved sending blood samples to multiple laboratories for testing.
The confirmation of the Ebola case took about two days after doctors at the Nairobi Hospital noticed symptoms. A blood sample was sent to the National Virology Laboratory, then to the Kemri laboratories for confirmation, and was counter-checked with the Africa Centres for Disease Control to get accurate test results. The Kenyan government has been working to account for the pathway journey of the patient.
The Kenyan government and the US are working together to respond to the Ebola threat. Key aspects of their collaboration include providing financial assistance, sharing expertise, and offering support to Kenya's efforts to detect and prevent the spread of Ebola.
Key points
- The Kenyan government needs US permission to use the Laikipia Ebola isolation facility.
- The US has provided $887 million in assistance to combat the Ebola outbreak.
- The Laikipia bio-isolation facility has not been used for any patients.
