The American government has made integral agreements with Kenya to eradicate epidemics that kill thousands of people and collapse economies. With Kenya as the epicenter for the East African region to ensure disease eradication, the US government will provide assistance in support of biological threat reduction efforts in the area of infrastructure and training programs at no cost. Speaking to the members of the press in Nairobi on Wednesday on behalf of the Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopha Mailu, the Health Principal Secretary Nicholas Muraguri said that the previously signed agreement between Kenya and the USA in 2015 will also provide for tax exemptions for activities specifically related to the required implementation.
“According to the Treaty-Making and Ratification Act all bilateral agreements dealing with security of Kenya shall be subject to parliamentary approval,” said PS Nicholas Muraguri.
He was speaking at a health workshop on the cooperation in threat reduction and biological enlargement programmes between Kenya and the US. The workshop will also enhance capacity building on health across the country.
The agreement implemented will help meet health commitments in the East African region and fight recently reported diseases like Chikungunya, Yellow fever, Ebola outbreak among other diseases.
A national survey of about 90 laboratories in 2014 revealed that even though half of the surveyed laboratories worked with pathogens considered biological threats most of them did not have measures and capabilities like infrastructural aspects, training, and technological approaches.
Currently, there are three laboratories that can handle pathogenic illness built on bio-technology in Busia, Kitale, and Machakos.
The national Government through the Ministry of health is also partnering with the Ministries of Defense and Interior, Ministry of livestock and Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) to make the whole affair of disease eradication a success.
