Medical staff wear protective gear while treating Ebola patients at an MSF treatment centre in Goma, DRC, on June 2, 2026. [AFP]
Kenya will receive Sh1.9 billion ($14.5 million) from the United States to strengthen its readiness against Ebola Virus Disease, targeting 22 high-risk counties with new laboratories, trained personnel and emergency response centres.
The US Embassy in Nairobi said the funding builds on more than six decades of partnership between the two countries and covers disease surveillance, laboratory systems, healthcare worker training, emergency response coordination, risk communication and screening at points of entry.
More than 800 laboratory professionals will be trained in biosafety, biosecurity and testing procedures for viral hemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola.
Two US-supported Kenya Medical Research Institute laboratories will join the National Virology Reference Laboratory in testing suspected samples, while two mobile laboratories will be deployed to high-risk areas to cut the turnaround time for results.
