• With majority of nations now coming out of the pandemic, they are banking on lessons learned to prepare from any future pandemics should the need arise.
• This saw the World Health Organization settle on Kenya to host a regional operations and logistics hub.
Image: PSCU
The Covid-19 pandemic exposed weaknesses in the healthcare systems across the world.
Even the most resilient healthcare systems were shaken by the virus with hospital beds filling up, while the poor suffered the most as they could not afford the cost of treatment.
More than 5,000 people have been confirmed dead since the virus struck the country in March 2020.
Health experts however said little knowledge and poor coordination in the response among countries gave the virus a chance to thrive even as top notch researchers burnt the midnight oil.
With majority of nations, including Kenya now coming out of the pandemic, they are banking on lessons learned to prepare from any future pandemics should the need arise.
This saw the World Health Organization settle on Kenya to host a regional operations and logistics hub.
Construction of the hub begun after the groundbreaking earlier this year.
The logistics hub is expected to be equipped with emergency medical personnel, commodities and equipment to support Kenya and other countries in the region.
“An expanded and more versatile emergencies hub in Kenya will allow WHO to effectively and swiftly support Kenya and all Eastern and Southern African countries, by maintaining stockpiles of medical and logistical supplies,” former president Uhuru Kenyatta said.
The office space will accommodate the initial staff component of up to 150 officers needed to start preparations for the establishment of the hub.
The logistics hub is expected to build and support capacity in disaster management systems, as well as technical expertise besides prioritising high profile disease-specific strategies and timely risk assessment.
Kenya is among three African countries selected by the WHO to host a logistics hub with a virtual meeting between the Ministry of Health and WHO taking place on Wednesday to fast track the process.
The other two are Senegal and Nigeria.
The mounting human and economic toll of Covid-19 has brought the challenge of regional disease surveillance and control to the forefront of the policy discourse around global public health.
"The construction of the emergency logistics hub and centre of excellence marks Kenya's continued partnership with WHO and the United Nations in general," WHO director general Tedros Ghebreyesus said.
Africa CDC collaboration Centre and the Kenya National Public Health Institute have also been allocated land.
“Research in Africa is funded from outside. We need to do national investments in line with your proposal,” WHO regional director for Africa Dr Matshidiso Moeti said.
"On training, we are keen on ensuring we have the people we require when we need them, not just from Kenya but the region."
CDC Kenya’s integrated approach to disease detection and response helps reduce the time it takes to identify and control public health risks, stopping dangerous outbreaks before they spread.
It works to help the Kenyan government and other governments in the region detect and respond to serious public health threats, including in refugee camps where outbreaks frequently occur.