Written By Vanessa Kariuki || 

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Dr. Nakhumicha S. Wafula, and the WHO Country Representative, Dr. Diallo, to create a WHO Regional Emergency Hub for Eastern and Southern Africa in Nairobi.

The hub will act as a cutting-edge storage facility for necessary medical supplies and equipment, ensuring prompt logistical support to nations in need throughout Eastern and Southern Africa.

The hub will also feature a centre of excellence dedicated to strengthening health and disaster emergency management capacity.

“Through this partnership with WHO, Kenya will gain access to the WHO’s vast network of experts, knowledge, and resources and leverage the latest technologies to enhance response times and provide crucial healthcare services during emergencies,” said CS Nakhumicha.

The creation of this hub is an important step in attaining these objectives, and now that it is operational, Kenya is better prepared to safeguard the health and welfare of its citizens and respond to emergencies quickly and effectively.

The WHO envoy remarked on Kenya’s leadership in African global health, saying that the country’s leadership has made health a priority and that WHO is prepared to assist Kenya in tackling public health issues.

“We are committed to working with our WHO and other regional partners to strengthen our health systems and improve our preparedness and response to health emergencies. The establishment of this hub is a significant step towards achieving that goal,” said Nakhumicha.

She added, “The hub will also enhance our ability to coordinate with other countries in the region, and through partnerships with regional bodies such as the African Union and the East African Community, we can improve our collective response to emergencies.”