Workshop Photos
The Multisectoral Training workshop for frontline workers on Rift Valley Fever Detection and Response in Epidemic-prone Counties of Kenya (Africa)
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In 2023, the Kenya Meteorological Department issued an alert for elevated rainfall and flooding in most parts of Kenya during the March-May rains, citing the possibility of an increase in vector-borne diseases such as malaria, Rift Valley fever (RVF), and dengue fever. Previously, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) climate projection for October 2023 to December 2023 indicated a strong possibility of above-average rainfall across most of the Greater Horn of Africa, including eastern Kenya, through the first quarter of 2024. IGAD issued an urgent appeal for assistance and a call to action to avert the expected disaster caused by disease outbreaks.
In 2022, Kenya developed a national contingency plan for RVF through a multisectoral process, which was ratified as the official blueprint for RVF outbreak preparedness and response in the country. The contingency plan aims to prevent full-blown RVF outbreaks and minimize RVF’s health and socio-economics impact on man, animals, and the environment.
The National Bridging Workshop (NBW) is a flagship programme of the Tripartite (FAO, WHO, and WOAH) that was established to improve multisectoral partnerships at the animal-human-environmental interface on a national scale, and which is aimed at strengthening multisectoral collaboration in countries. The programme is supported by Tripartite organisations in the format of a three-day national workshop which brings together 60-90 national stakeholders from the animal health and the human health services from national, regional and local levels, as well as representatives of other relevant sectors (environment, wildlife, media, police, etc.).
The NBW is based on a standard methodology, which bridges the WHO IHR (International Health Regulations) and WOAH PVS (Performance of Veterinary Services) Pathway global health frameworks. By this, national participants use their own country assessment reports to identify gaps and make recommendations for a joint roadmap on multisectoral collaboration. As a result, the NBW initiative assists countries in strengthening collaboration at the human-animal interface while also enhancing compliance with international standards and regulations.
In Kenya, the NBW workshop was held in November 2021, and a joint roadmap for three main technical areas was produced, including actions in risk assessment and response, communication, and surveillance. In January 2023, the joint roadmap’s implementation was examined again, and essential activities were prioritised even further. Kenya proposed prioritising surveillance-related activities, specifically “Improved response to public health events using a One Health Approach by establishing and strengthening the operational framework for One Health Surveillance between the animal, human, and environmental health sector.”
To combat the threat of RVF, the Kenya government is working closely with international organizations like the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the African Union-Inter African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) to strengthen the country’s preparedness and response capabilities.
The recent training workshop brought together experts from human and animal health sectors to enhance their knowledge of RVF and improve collaboration. The goal was to be ready to quickly detect and respond to any potential outbreak. It also aimed to contribute towards operationalisation of the National RVF Contingency Plan for Kenya, specifically those relating to the pre-outbreak phase through targeted training to support active surveillance and risk communication.
Key focus areas of the training included:
Kenya has a National RVF Contingency Plan in place, and this training helps ensure that it can be effectively implemented when needed. By strengthening surveillance and early warning systems, the country aims to minimize the impact of a potential RVF outbreak on people, livestock, and the economy.
