The WHO and Kenyan government will launch a medical emergency hub to be a regional hub for medical equipment. The WHO aims to contribute to building Africa’s capacity and ensure the continent is prepared to respond to the next pandemic. Africa always had gaps in a medical emergencies, which worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Emergency Hub is expected to close this gap significantly. Kenya provided $31 million in funding, allocated 12.14 hectares of land, and three-year office space for 12 of WHO’s staff in the Kenyatta University Hospital.
The facility in Nairobi contains a Centre of Excellence for the Health Emergency Workforce that creates a foundation for a more extensive initiative aiming to change Africa’s emergency response. It is the first in a network of African centers anticipated to improve responses to regional emergencies. It will include a training center, stockpiles of medical equipment, and response teams of 300 medical professionals who’ll act 24 hours across Africa. The professionals include laboratory experts, epidemiologists, data managers, anthropologists, field logisticians, and mental health & psychosocial experts.
