The government has allocated 30 acres of Kenyatta University land and ($5 million) Ksh741 million for the establishment of a medical emergency hub in Nairobi.
In an update by the Ministry of Health(MoH), the new World Health Organization Regional Office Of Africa(WHO-AFRO) Regional Emergency Operations and Logistics Hub aims to bridge a critical gap in public health emergencies and hasten responses to regional emergencies.
The medical emergency hub will be the first in a network of African centres.
In a statement, Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni noted that the hub holds the promise of a brighter future for emergency response, not only in Kenya but also across the region.
"Currently, WHO-AFRO is managing over 142 ongoing emergencies, including disease outbreaks and humanitarian crises, solidifying its role as the global hub for public health challenges. The establishment of this hub in Kenya promises not only to enhance regional coordination but also to become a centre of excellence for emergency operations," MoH said.
The facility will include a training centre, house a cadre of professionals that can respond to a medical emergency within its first 24 hours and stockpiles of medical equipment.
This comes after Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Wafula and the WHO Kenya Country Representative Abdourahmane Diallo signed an MoU on April 24, 2023, following the approval of the Cabinet.
The Cabinet meeting was chaired by President William Ruto.
