Kenya Strategizes Protecting Its Citizens Against Ebola and Other Diseases

Following the Ebola epidemic in west Africa which has so far claimed over 4,000 lives, authorities in Kenya have come up with strict measures to protect its citizens against contagious diseases.

One of the measures the government has come up with is that all migrants will no longer come to Kenya without being vaccinated against contagious diseases.

“We can not just sit and look as our population is threatened by contagious diseases likely to be brought in by migrants. Something has to be done,” said Dr. Jackson Omollo, consultant of health issues in Kenya.

He said that relevant authorities have started drafting laws that are meant to make all migrants and visitors to Kenya immunized against killer diseases before entering the country.

Omollo’s statement has been qualified by other ministry of health officials in Kenya.

“We are working out out action plans on how to integrate migrant issues with the Ministry of Health and work out solutions to emerging health issues such as Ebola, polio, and other cross border illnesses,” said Bernard Muia, Kenya’s health director in charge of medical services.

Muia said that stakeholders are to soon meet and come up with well stipulated guidelines on how the idea of vaccinating migrants and visitors can be carried out.

He added on that they are developing laws to effect the plan which is meant to ensure that diseases such as yellow fever, polio, and other contagious diseases do not enter the country.

“We are looking at laws such that before you cross over to Kenya for whatever reason, you must be vaccinated against these illnesses.We also want to see how best we can address the issue at our borders,” said Dr Muia.

A cross section of Kenyans have welcomed the idea.

“What the government is suggesting to do is good.We should not leave foreigners to walk into our country with dangerous diseases which might later infect the rest of our people,” said Christine Nyambuwa, a nurse in Nairobi.