The United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs has questioned plans by the Trump administration to send American Ebola patients to Kenya for treatment, arguing that the US has both the capacity and responsibility to care for its citizens at home.
In a statement issued on June 2, the committee said the government should prioritize bringing Americans home and treating them in domestic facilities specifically designed to handle Ebola cases.
“Our government has a responsibility to help Americans abroad,” the committee said.
The lawmakers noted that the United States already has specialized facilities capable of safely caring for Ebola patients, making it unnecessary to rely on another country for treatment.
“The US already has domestic facilities specifically designed to safely care for Ebola patients,” the statement said.
The remarks come amid debate over a reported Kenya-US agreement under which Kenya would support the treatment or management of American personnel potentially exposed to or infected with the Ebola virus while serving overseas.
Criticizing the arrangement, the committee said the administration should not transfer that responsibility to another government.
On June 1, President William Ruto defended Kenya’s decision to host an Ebola health facility at Laikipia Air Base, saying it’s part of a long-standing partnership with the United States in global health security and pandemic response.
The President said the arrangement is part of Kenya’s collaboration with international partners in strengthening public health systems.
Ruto said the government had already activated comprehensive preparedness measures to respond to any potential Ebola outbreak, including isolation units, surveillance systems, and treatment facilities.
“When President Trump asked the government of Kenya to support them by having a centre at Laikipia Air Base, I gave the okay because it was an agreement and a partnership with friends who have worked with Kenya for 30 or 40 years. The American government has supported us,” Ruto said.
“They have deployed huge resources in Kenya to work with us on HIV/AIDS and other diseases. They worked with us on Ebola. In fact, KEMRI was one of the institutions that worked on research on the vaccines for COVID because we have a solid partnership with America and other partners.”
