UASIN GISHU STRENGTHENS EVD AND EL-NINO PREPAREDNESS THROUGH HEALTH TEAMS TRAINING

The County Government of Uasin Gishu, in collaboration with the Kenya National Public Health Institute (KNPHI) and Amref Health Africa, has strengthened preparedness for public health emergencies through a training of county and sub-county health teams on Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and El-Nino-related risks.

The training brought together health teams from the six sub-counties of Turbo, Ainabkoi, Kapseret, Soy, Moiben and Kesses, with a focus on strengthening preparedness, risk communication, response coordination, early detection and development of practical work plans.

Speaking during the training, Chief Officer for Preventive and Promotive Health Services, Dr. Billy Lubanga, emphasized the importance of effective communication in preparing communities to respond to public health risks.

“Everything rises and falls on how we communicate with the community. It is our responsibility to give the public the knowledge they need to protect themselves. Community Health Promoters are an important component of the response team, particularly in identifying and reporting risks at the community level,” said Dr. Lubanga.

Dr. Lubanga noted that the training had adopted a Training of Trainers (TOT) approach, with participants expected to cascade the knowledge and skills gained to other health workers and community teams.

He called on each sub-county to establish a functional Rapid Response Team (RRT) and adopt a comprehensive approach to preparedness, particularly in view of the potential risks associated with EVD and El-Nino rains.

The Kenya National Public Health Institute Epidemiologist, Oscar Gaunya, led sessions on developing effective emergency preparedness work plans. The sessions covered key steps in work-plan development, group discussions and Top/Desk Top simulation exercises designed to test teams' readiness and ability to coordinate during emergencies.

Participants subsequently developed and presented sub-county work plans aimed at strengthening preparedness, coordination and timely response to public health emergencies.

Edwin Isaac Onyango, EVD Programme Officer at Amref Health Africa, emphasized the need for health teams to translate the knowledge gained from the training into practical action at facility and community levels.

He urged participants to strengthen early detection, timely reporting, risk communication and coordination among response teams, noting that effective preparedness requires every team member to understand their responsibilities before an emergency occurs.

The training is expected to strengthen the county's capacity to detect and respond to emerging public health threats while enhancing collaboration between health facilities, sub-county teams, Community Health Promoters and other response actors.