China has given Kenya Sh129.5 million ($1 million) to strengthen preparedness for Ebola following the confirmation of the country’s first imported case of the disease.
The funding is part of a $2 million (Sh259.5 million) cash grant handed over to the National Treasury on Thursday by Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan. Of the grant, Sh129.5 million will support Ebola preparedness, while a similar amount will go towards drought response.
“At the request of the Kenyan government, the Chinese government is providing a cash grant of $1 million to support the Kenyan government in strengthening infrastructure for preparing for Ebola virus disease in the counties identified as being at very high and high risk,” said Ms Guo.
“China is willing to continue strengthening development cooperation with Kenya under the frameworks of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Global Development Initiative.”
The grant comes as Kenya steps up surveillance and preparedness following the death of its first confirmed Ebola (Bundibugyo virus) disease patient. The patient, a Kenyan national, had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through Uganda before arriving in Nairobi.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the case was imported and that Kenya was not experiencing widespread transmission.
“Kenya is not experiencing an Ebola outbreak but is dealing with an isolated imported case,” said Mr Duale.
The government said it has intensified screening at points of entry, contact tracing and surveillance, with 66 people currently in quarantine as health authorities monitor them for possible Ebola infection.
As of October 6, the Ministry of Health said 652,000 travellers had been screened and 267 samples tested. A total of 4,971 healthcare workers had also been trained in Ebola prevention and management.
