In a statement released by the Ministry of Health (MoH), one person has succumbed to Mpox and a total of 13 cases have been reported since the first detection of the deadly virus in the country.
Health Director-General Patrick Amoth stated that the patient succumbed since he was also battling existing health complications. Of the thirteen, eight have recovered and been discharged while four are still admitted to the hospital.
Amoth highlighted that the individual who succumbed had other underlying health complications that may have contributed to the loss. The cases were detected from 236 samples that were tested in laboratories and the cases were confirmed in 10 counties.
Amoth was speaking in Nairobi as the Ministry received a Donation of 15.2 million tablets of medicines for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) worth $1.6 million (Ksh.213M) from the World Health Organisation.
Health Cabinet Secretary Debra Barasa praised the initiative, highlighting that the donation would significantly contribute to curbing the spread of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in the country. She emphasized that the tablets would be crucial in tackling three endemic NTDs: lymphatic filariasis, soil-transmitted helminths, and schistosomiasis, which are aimed for elimination by 2027.
Barasa also mentioned that the drugs will be distributed during the upcoming mass drug administration campaign, focusing on 15 counties in the Coastal Region, Lake Victoria Basin, and Western Region, where infection rates are notably high.
She emphasized the importance of community health promoters in the effective implementation of the mass drug administration (MDA) campaign in endemic areas. She also instructed the teams to register all household members they visit for the Social Health Insurance Fund, enabling them to benefit from affordable services provided under the Universal Health Programme.
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