India Sends 4.5 Tonnes of Medical Aid to Kenya to Boost Ebola Preparedness

India has delivered the first tranche of medical assistance to Kenya to strengthen the country's preparedness and response to the Ebola virus and other infectious diseases, according to an official statement.

The first consignment, weighing 4.5 tonnes, was handed over by Indian High Commissioner Adarsh Swaika to Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Health Aden Duale at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on Wednesday, the Indian High Commission said in the statement.

The initiative follows India's supply of more than 45 tonnes of medical assistance to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in May and June, to bolster the continent's preparedness against Ebola.

India has been among the first responders during Kenya's public health emergencies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it supplied 1.12 million doses of made-in-India vaccines to Kenya under the Vaccine Maitri initiative, besides providing medicines and other medical assistance.

The recent shipment comprises 279 packages of essential medical supplies, including personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, sample transportation kits, infrared thermometers, face shields, heavy-duty protective boots and other infection-prevention materials, the High Commission said in the statement.

A second tranche of assistance will be delivered shortly, it said.

The assistance is aimed at strengthening Kenya's long-term public health preparedness and response capacity by supporting disease surveillance, safe collection and transportation of samples, infection prevention and control, and the protection of frontline healthcare workers, it said.

The two countries have also expanded cooperation in the health sector through grant assistance for medical equipment, including a Bhabhatron radiotherapy machine for Kenyatta National Hospital and diagnostic equipment for the Kenya Navy Hospital in Mombasa.

According to the High Commission, over 10,000 Kenyans travel to India every year for medical treatment, while Indian pharmaceutical products account for more than half of Kenya's pharmaceutical market.