Kenya has approved a request from the United States to establish a quarantine facility for Americans exposed to Ebola, two US officials confirmed on Thursday. The development comes as the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) travels to the epicenter of the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Facility Location and Authorization
One US official stated that the authorization grants the US access to land at an air force base in Laikipia, central Kenya. Officials at Kenya's foreign and health ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The planned facility will be staffed by members of the US Public Health Service, a uniformed branch of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Ebola Outbreak in DRC
Health authorities in the DRC and neighboring countries are scrambling to contain the latest outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no vaccine or treatment. This outbreak is the third largest on record and is outpacing the global response. The approach, which relies on identifying and isolating potential cases, is weeks or even months behind schedule. The WHO has declared a public health emergency of international concern.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on X: "Sixteen times, this country has defeated Ebola. The 17th will be no different. But we must act now, together." He is due to arrive in Kinshasa on Thursday and will travel to Ituri province in northeastern DRC, where the first cases were reported and the virus has been circulating for weeks.
Travel Restrictions and Reactions
Countries worldwide have implemented travel-related containment measures. The US has taken some of the strictest actions, temporarily banning the entry of green card holders who have been in the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan within the previous 21 days. Kenya had pushed for the quarantine facility to be open to all nationalities, not just US citizens. Some Kenyans have questioned why the US would not repatriate exposed citizens back home.
