Gov’t plans to spend Ksh.6.7B on Mpox management

With five confirmed positive cases of Mpox, Kenya is ramping up its preparedness and response to the deadly virus.

Speaking during an assessment tour of Llasit border post in Loitoktok and Namanga One-Stop Border Point in Kajiado County, Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni confirmed an escalation of screening and response mechanisms to avert further spread especially through the points of entry into the country.

“So far, we have screened over 800,000 members of the public and travellers in all points of entry to our national laboratories we have been able to send 150 samples we have 143 who are negative and 2 results pending in the lab so once we get the results we shall establish if we have any new cases or they are also negative,” Muthoni said.

The Ministry of Health has established a National Mpox Preparedness and Response Plan which seeks to guide coordinated public health action to stop the Mpox outbreak in Kenya and to reduce the risk of importation from neighbouring countries that are experiencing outbreaks including Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Rwanda.

The plan which will adopt a three-tier response level system will cost the taxpayer up to Ksh.6.7 billion.

Local containment of the spread will receive up to Ksh.1.7 billion which will be spent on among others community-based surveillance, capacity building of health workers, provision of assorted PPEs, sanitation supplies, enhancing screening and putting up temporary isolation spaces.

Controlling the regional spread of Mpox cases in less than five counties has been allocated about Ksh. 2.3 billion with Ksh.941 million which is a lion’s share of the total budget set to be spent on training health workers 

On controlling the national spread, which involves 5 or more counties, Ksh.2.6 billion will be spent out of which Ksh.191 million will be spent on sensitization of healthcare workers, Ksh.90 million on contact tracing and active case search, Ksh.500 million on infection prevention and control interventions and 159million on laboratory support.

According to the plan signed by PS Muthoni and Acting Director General for health Dr Sultani Matendechero, high-risk areas include Busia, Bungoma, Eldoret, Kisumu, Kericho, Nakuru, Kiambu, Nairobi, Machakos, Kajiado, Makueni, Taita Taveta, Kwale Kilifi and Mombasa as they are considered routes from Uganda to Mombasa.

Cross-border movement along border counties is also considered a big threat.

“We are keen on risk communication we have enhanced our communication and that is why I am also here, we are insisting that every traveller must go to the port authority and they must be screened,” Muthoni added.

The Ministry of Health is working closely with county governments and other agencies to strengthen preparedness at all border points.