Kenya News

Nairobi, September 9, 2016 - The Horn of Africa Polio Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meeting has ended in Nairobi with an urgent call for member countries to ‘get back on track’ if the looming threat of a possible polio virus outbreak in the region is to be averted.

Speaking at the end of the four-day meeting in Nairobi, the TAG Chair Dr Jean-Marc Olive underlined the threat of an impending importation of the virus following the outbreak in Nigeria last July.

In 2013, Kenya’s Ministry of Health was faced with a debate over the alarming rate of women dying in childbirth: was the cause deep-rooted cultural values, or could lives be saved with policy interventions?

Nairobi, June 2016 - Kenya launched the second Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Master Plan 2016 - 2020 on 15 June 2016. Present at the launch were senior government officials, representatives of Non -Governmental Organizations (NGOs), the UN, academia, research institutes, Civil Society,  the media, people affected by NTDs  and several other  stakeholders collaborating with the Kenyan government to combat the NTDs in Kenya. 

On 28 May 2016, the Ministry of Health of Kenya notified WHO of an outbreak of Chikungunya in Mandera East sub-county.

The first reports of an increase in cases with febrile illness and joint pains occurred in May 2016. Samples were collected and shipped to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Arboviral Laboratory in Nairobi. On 16 May, KEMRI laboratory confirmed 7 of the 10 samples tested positive for Chikungunya virus. All samples tested negative for other arboviruses including: dengue, yellow fever and West Nile viruses.

airobi, May 16, 2016 - Kenya has rolled out a massive nation-wide Measles-Rubella campaign which targets almost half the population. The campaign which runs from May 16-24 will cover all the 47 counties and target 19,922,722 children between 9 months and 14 years. The rubella component will be offered in public health facilities for the first time but will be offered as one vaccine with measles. In addition, 11 targeted counties will offer tetanus vaccination for girls and women aged 15-49. These are counties more at risk and with low immunization coverage.

Kenya celebrated African Vaccination Week with launches, radio messages, community meetings and various mother-to-child-related activities around the country. The country delayed the celebrations in order to merge it with Malezi Bora (Good Upbringing) celebrations which are set aside annually to focus on increased uptake of immunization and other health services through sustained communication, advocacy and social mobilization. The celebrations were held on May 2-14, 2016.