Kenyais rushing to containĀ Ebola linked to the deadliest outbreak onĀ record in theĀ Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)Ā . The East African nationĀ has reported two cases and one death, while the DRCĀ has reported over 9,000 cases and 4,400 deaths.
Kenya’s firstĀ Ebola patient died atĀ Nairobi hospital on October 5. TheĀ 40-year-old KenyanĀ had traveledĀ by road from the DRC to UgandaĀ before boarding a flight to Nairobi in EntebbeĀ on October 3.Ā
One of his relatives is now confirmed to have contracted the virus. The 39-year-old wasĀ under quarantine when he developed symptoms on October 13.Ā “Both cases are linked, and ā€‹there is no evidence of spread in the wider community,” Kenya’sĀ health ministry said.
Contact tracing has beenĀ ongoing since officials first detected the case.Ā Of the 128 people who cameĀ into contact with the first Ebola patient, 113 have been identified, according to the health ministry.Ā All, except fiveā€”who are in unspecified countries abroadā€”have been quarantined.Ā
Should Kenyans worry about Ebola spreading?
Public anxiety is rising, with fears of lockdowns and economic disruption and skepticism about government readiness.
“It’s a very dangerous disease, so it’s very shocking,” a Nairobi residentĀ told DW.Ā Another citizen said he was disappointed: “The government has been caught unaware. It appears to me that the government was not prepared, especially at the entry point of this particular person who was found to be suffering from Ebola.”Ā
One woman said she felt there was a lack of public information on the disease. “The government should do more in educating and sensitizing about it, and raising awareness,” she said.
Kenya’s Health Ministry, through its Cabinet Secretary, Aden Duale,Ā has been seeking to allay fears, urging Kenyans to remain vigilant and encouraging anyone who develops symptoms toĀ report to the nearest medical facility. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), symptoms can develop between 2 and 21 days after infection.
Early symptomsĀ include: fever, fatigue, malaise, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. Later, a patient may sufferĀ from vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and kidney and liver infection.
However, these symptoms might be similar to other illnesses such as malaria orĀ typhoid, and only an Ebola test can confirm if one has been exposed to the virus.
Criticism and calls to improve screening
Several prominent figures, medical unions and opposition politicians have criticized Kenya’s response to its first Ebola cases. Former Chief Justice David Maraga, who has declared interest in running for the presidency in the 2027 election,Ā questioned how a man carrying the Ebola virus could pass through screening at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi.Ā
“We don’t know how many have been infected. We must demand appropriate action be taken so that we don’t have deaths arising from that disease,” Maraga told The Standard.
Kalonzo Musyoka, Kenya’s vice president from 2008 to 2013, meanwhileĀ noted that doctors at Nairobi Hospital, not border systems, detected the danger.Ā
Dr. Dennis Miskellah of theĀ Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists UnionĀ believes that the Ebola cases show that Kenya’s health system is not pandemic-ready. “This system is not yet resilient. This systemĀ did not learn from the COVID pandemic that we had a few years ago,” he said.Ā
“Since May, we’ve had this outbreak in the region. Uganda, our immediate neighbor, had almost 20 cases. So, we had ample time to prepare adequately. But it seems like somebody dropped the ball.”Ā
Kenya went on high alert after the DRCĀ declared the Ebola outbreak in May. The government designated several hospitals as isolation centers.
It also enhanced screening at airports and border points, deploying mobile labs. Flights from several African countries were ordered to land in designated airport wings for screening.
Where are the gaps in Kenya’s health system?
“Top of it all is that there’s has been a serious lapse ofĀ leadership in governance of healthcareĀ this country,” said Miskellah. “All those broken pillars, there’s no clear responsibility or chain of command, whether its the Ministry of Health or the 47 county governments who are semi-automous.”
Capacity at some isolation centers is limited. Rural facilities lack resources such as the protective gear available at major hospitals, according to Miskellah. And there’s also aĀ shortage of health workers due to a freeze on public service workers.
Meanwhile, healthcare workers, many of whom have no healthcare cover, are reportedly wary of putting their lives at risk. Dozens of Kenyan nurses and doctors lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.Ā
Kenya’s agreements onĀ Ebola with its neighbors are being called into question since the first case was recorded in Kenya, which has one of the strongest healthcare systems in the region.Ā
Experts are questioning the state of regional cooperation on Ebola, where borders have largely remained open despite the surge in cases and deaths. “Before we trust these agreements andĀ cooperation, then we haveĀ have to audit them and question them so that we don’t just blindly believe that Kenya is doing the right thing, or that the DRCĀ is doing the right thing,” said Miskellah.
Then, there’s the question of individual responsibility.Ā Kenya requires travelers arriving fromĀ Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Angola, Zambia, Rwanda, Burundi, Central African Republic and South Sudan to complete a health declaration formĀ ā€” truthfully.
Adapted from the Africalink Podcast by Benita van Eyssen.