By KPC Reporter
The Ministry of Health has intensified surveillance measures across the country following growing global concern over zoonotic diseases such as the Andes strain of hantavirus.
Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni Muriuki said Kenya is shifting from “crisis response” to “long-term prevention” in dealing with emerging infectious diseases.
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Muriuki emphasized that the country’s preparedness strategy is now heavily anchored on the “One Health” approach, which links human, animal, and environmental health in combating diseases that spread from animals to people.
“The One Health approach is critical for managing diseases that jump from animals to humans,” she said, adding that the government is strengthening grassroots surveillance through Community Health Promoters to help manage rodent-related risks associated with hantavirus infections.
The Principal Secretary warned that climate change and environmental disruptions are contributing to the increasing frequency of zoonotic outbreaks globally.
She noted that the frameworks discussed during the international summits are crucial in supporting Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage agenda and long-term health security goals.
As part of heightened preparedness measures, Kenya has increased surveillance at airports and seaports to monitor travelers arriving from affected Atlantic cruise routes.
The ministry is also integrating digital disease surveillance systems with laboratory networks to improve the early detection of unusual respiratory illnesses under the National Action Plan for Health Security 2026–2030.
“Hantavirus is a classic One Health challenge because its transmission is strictly tied to the environment and animal reservoirs,” the statement noted.
The ministry explained that infected rodents shed the virus through urine and droppings, contaminating surfaces and dust that can expose humans through accidental inhalation.
In rare cases involving the Andes strain, limited human-to-human transmission has also been reported.
Muriuki said Kenya’s readiness efforts are aimed at ensuring global health policies “translate into real investments” capable of equipping local infrastructure to detect and manage emerging threats before they escalate into national crises.
