- Kenya has released its last Ebola patient and begun a 42-day countdown to be declared free of the disease, with the target date of December 23.
- World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated Kenya on the success in a post on X on Wednesday, praising the country's preparedness, surveillance, swift response, and continued vigilance.
- Kenya faced travel restrictions following the Ebola outbreak, with Saudi Arabia announcing an indefinite suspension of visas on October 30, affecting hundreds of Kenyan workers. The Ministry of Health urged Saudi Arabia to reconsider, and Kenya tightened border controls, including a 21-day quarantine for citizens arriving from the DRC.
Kenya has officially discharged its last Ebola patient and commenced a 42-day countdown to be declared free of the disease by December 23. Health Minister Aden Duale announced this at a news conference in Nairobi, marking a significant milestone more than five weeks after the first case was recorded on October 6.12
The outbreak, which began with a patient traveling from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), resulted in nine confirmed cases, with the last case recorded on October 19. While one patient died, the remaining seven fully recovered. The government identified 135 contacts linked to the first patient, ensuring rigorous monitoring and prevention measures.
In a show of support, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated Kenya's health workers and government for their preparedness and swift response, stating, “My congratulations to Kenya’s health workers, responders and government for their preparedness, surveillance, swift response and continued vigilance.”34
Despite the progress, Kenya will maintain strict health protocols, including a 21-day quarantine for citizens arriving from the DRC. The outbreak had previously led to significant travel restrictions, including an indefinite visa suspension by Saudi Arabia, affecting many Kenyan workers.567
“Kenya's health ministry urged Saudi Arabia to reconsider its indefinite visa suspension, which affected hundreds of Kenyan workers. The country also imposed a 21-day quarantine for citizens arriving from the DRC to curb the outbreak's spread.”
