Kenyan President William Ruto and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump
The United States government has committed an additional $20 million (Sh2.59 billion) to strengthen Ebola preparedness efforts in Kenya and three other East African countries.
In a statement, the US Department of State said the funding will also support preparedness activities in Burundi, Rwanda, and South Sudan.
“Today, the Department is announcing $20 million in additional funding toward the Department’s ongoing Ebola response and preparedness efforts, bringing the total direct funding for the Department of State’s Ebola response to more than $220 million.
“This additional funding will help support comprehensive preparedness activities in countries surrounding the current outbreak, including in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Sudan,” the statement read.
The department noted that the additional funding will help countries strengthen national emergency operations centres, enhance disease surveillance and testing, improve border screening systems and infection prevention measures, and procure critical medical supplies needed to respond to potential Ebola cases in the four nations.
“U.S.-funded preparedness activities will support national emergency operations centers; enhance capacities for surveillance, testing, border screening, and infection prevention and control; enable procurement and distribution of critical commodities; and prepare countries to manage potential patients with Ebola disease,” the statement added.
This comes a day after President William Ruto held discussions with US President Donald Trump’s Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos.
In a statement, Bolous said they discussed the US-Kenya cooperation in responding to the Ebola virus outbreak, among other issues.
During the meeting held in Oslo, Norway, Boulos also thanked President Ruto for his steadfast partnership with the US in responding to the disease.
“We discussed U.S.-Kenyan cooperation to respond to Ebola, and I thanked President Ruto for his steadfast partnership. Both of our nations have vital roles to play in fighting this outbreak and protecting our populations,” he wrote.
