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ADVERTSiaya County has intensified preparedness against Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), with frontline health workers in Gem and Alego Usonga sub-counties undergoing specialised training to strengthen early detection, infection control and rapid response to potential outbreaks.
The training brought together healthcare workers under a partnership between the Siaya County Department of Health and Sanitation and Amref Health Kenya, through the Imarisha Jamii Project, as the county moves to strengthen its capacity to confront Ebola and other emerging infectious disease threats.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of the potentially devastating consequences of Ebola, a severe viral disease capable of causing serious illness and death. Health authorities emphasised that early identification of suspected cases, immediate notification and rigorous infection prevention and control are central to preventing local transmission.
The health workers were taken through the identification, surveillance, notification and management of suspected Ebola cases, with particular emphasis on ensuring that alerts reach the appropriate public health authorities without delay.
A major component of the training focused on infection prevention and control (IPC), including correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE), hand hygiene, environmental cleaning and safe handling of patients and potentially infectious materials.
ADVERTParticipants also received training on contact tracing and monitoring, safe specimen collection and referral, patient management, and the safe and dignified management of deaths and burials—all critical components of an effective Ebola response.
The sessions underscored the importance of functional surveillance and referral systems at health facilities, enabling suspected cases to be identified and acted upon before they can trigger wider transmission.
Health facilities were further encouraged to strengthen their preparedness by identifying suitable isolation spaces, maintaining adequate stocks of PPE and other essential supplies, and ensuring close coordination among clinicians, surveillance officers, laboratory teams and community structures.
Importantly, the preparedness programme went beyond clinical response to address the psychological impact of public health emergencies.
Health workers were introduced to Psychological First Aid (PFA) and the Look, Listen and Link approach, which equips responders to recognise distress, provide immediate basic support and connect affected individuals with appropriate professional and community services.
The training also addressed continuity of essential healthcare services during outbreaks. Participants were encouraged to apply risk-based prioritisation so that critical services can continue even as health facilities implement measures to protect patients and healthcare workers from infection.
The collaboration between the county government and Amref Health Kenya through the Imarisha Jamii Project highlights the increasingly important role of partnerships in strengthening health-system resilience and emergency preparedness.
For Gem and Alego Usonga, where frontline health workers are often the first point of contact for communities, strengthening their ability to recognise and report suspected Ebola cases could prove critical in containing a public health threat before it escalates.
The exercise therefore sends a clear message: Ebola preparedness begins long before the first suspected case arrives at a health facility.
Early detection, rapid reporting, effective infection prevention and control, adequate supplies, competent frontline personnel and coordinated community response remain Siaya County’s strongest safeguards against the spread of Ebola and other emerging infectious diseases.
By investing in the preparedness of health workers today, Siaya is strengthening its ability to protect communities tomorrow.
