East African states have moved to strengthen a joint regional response to the Ebola outbreak.
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This is even as the US signalled it could seek alternatives for the controversial quarantine facility if legal challenges in Kenya derail the plan.
The parallel developments place Kenya at the centre of both regional public health efforts and growing diplomatic scrutiny over plans to establish a bio-isolation facility.
Both the US and the Kenyan government had agreed to set up the facility at Laikipia Air Base for Americans exposed to Ebola.
On Monday and Tuesday, the EAC convened an extraordinary virtual meeting of health ministers to discuss joint measures to contain the outbreak.
The meeting, steered by EAC Deputy Secretary General Aguer Ariik, discussed proposals including harmonised Ebola surveillance across member states and the deployment of mobile laboratories.
Other measures discussed included the establishment of a regional Ebola taskforce and mobilisation of resources to strengthen preparedness and response efforts.
“The senior officials recommend to the Permanent/Principal/Under Secretaries to recommend to the Sectoral Council to direct the EAC Secretariat to submit the Concept Note to Partner States for internal consultations and mobilise more resources to support the response to the current Ebola disease outbreak,” part of the recommendations from the meeting stated.
The officials also proposed the development of a “comprehensive costed Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak Response and Recovery Plan for the EAC region”.
The meeting came amid growing fears over the spread of the outbreak, which was officially declared on May 15 in the DRC.
As of June 3, the disease had affected the DRC and Uganda. There were 321 confirmed cases and 48 confirmed deaths in the DRC and 15 confirmed cases and one death in Uganda.
South Sudan and Kenya have not reported any confirmed cases, though regional preparedness activities are underway.
The regional bloc said it had already activated several emergency interventions, including the deployment of nine mobile laboratories in strategic cross-border locations and points of entry across the region, among them the Busia border in Kenya.
Other measures include specialised training for emergency medical teams, activation of a rapidly deployable pool of outbreak experts and procurement of personal protective equipment for affected countries.
EAC Secretary General Amb Stephen Mbundi said the bloc was working closely with member states, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the WHO and development partners to strengthen surveillance and rapid response systems.
Even as the regional efforts were being rolled out, the US sought to calm concerns over plans to establish an Ebola exposure facility in Kenya.
Speaking during a White House briefing, US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr Mehmet Oz said Washington was considering alternative locations should the Kenyan plan collapse.
“By the way, there’s a UK base there. We have other people who might be willing to welcome us, and we have our German colleagues as well. So there are many places we can send folks,” he said.
Washington, however, remained hopeful it would resolve concerns surrounding the proposed facility in Kenya despite a court case.
“We are confident, and the State Department’s working on this diligently, that they’re going to work out something with Kenya. There has already been a fair amount of communication around this issue,” Oz said.
His remarks appeared to signal growing urgency within the US administration to secure a regional quarantine and monitoring facility close to Ebola outbreak zones amid fears that transporting potentially exposed personnel over long distances could delay emergency treatment.
“The main issue with having a facility close to the DRC is if a patient is sick. I want to take the patient to the OR that’s right next door to the room they’re sick in, not to the building next to them or to three buildings two blocks away because that time is precious to us,” Oz said.
The US Embassy on Wednesday also defended the proposed Laikipia facility, insisting it formed part of a broader effort to prevent the regional spread of the disease. It added that it posed no risk to surrounding communities.
“The bio-isolation facility in Laikipia is part of a holistic response to prevent spread of the disease and lessen health risks for the region as a whole; it does not pose risk to nearby communities,” the embassy said in a statement.
The embassy added that Washington was also working with Kenya to strengthen border detection, testing and outbreak response in high-risk counties.
“Expanding regional capacity to isolate and test asymptomatic individuals, including Americans working on the response effort, will enhance Kenya’s readiness and preserve Kenya’s existing clinical resources to assist Kenyan citizens,” the statement added.
The proposed facility has nonetheless triggered legal and political controversy, with critics questioning transparency around the deal and expressing fears over possible health and security risks.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
East African states are mounting a coordinated regional response to the Ebola outbreak as the US signals it could seek alternative countries for a controversial quarantine facility if Kenya’s courts block the Laikipia plan. The EAC’s emergency preparedness measures, alongside growing diplomatic and political pressure on Nairobi, place President William Ruto at the centre of a delicate balancing act between regional health cooperation, US strategic interests and rising domestic backlash over the proposed bio-isolation facility.
