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Kenya cleared of HINI virus
Written By:George Kithuka , Posted: Fri, Oct 23, 2009
The World Health Organization WHO has given Kenya a clean bill of health over the swine flu fever.
Country representative David Okello declared that the disease was no longer a threat to the nation.
He spoke as Kenya prepares to play host to a major health conference starting next week.
"There is no need to worry since most cases of H1N1 in Kenya is mild", he assured.
He further said the country had put in place a robust surveillance system and the best laboratories in the region to detect the Virus.
Dr. Okello dismissed the reports that the H1N1 vaccines are already in the country saying that they were still in the development stage.
He added that Kenya was on the priority list of the countries that will receive the vaccines when they are eventually released.
The 7th, global health promotion conference to be held in Nairobi between 26th and 30th October will be the first in the Africa continent and will be co-hosted by the ministry of Medical Services and ministry of Public Health and Sanitation in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO).is being hosted in the continent for the first time.
Public heath minister Beth Mugo reassured that her ministry was committed to providing health services to all Kenyans.
Mugo told the media that the event will bring together medical and health practitioners, development partners, the civil society and national policy makers to formulate policies of promoting health and development.
According to the minister, the meeting comes at an opportune time when the world is grappling with the effects of the H1N1 commonly known as swine flu and frequent cholera outbreaks in some parts of country.
The two were speaking at the ministry headquarters during a media briefing on the forthcoming conference.