Dennis Were, CES Alum, talks about Mpox
Part of the Kenyan Red Cross Mpox response team – Dennis Were is second from the left, in the red shirt
Dennis Were, (“WER-ay”) supported by CES through high school and university, is currently on a work term with the Kenyan Red Cross Society. He’s been a Program Officer with the Red Cross’s response to the Mpox outbreak in Turkana County, north of where CES does most of its work. Here’s his report (and to meet Dennis by video, click here).
Following the official declaration of the Mpox outbreak in Kenya by the Ministry of Health on July 31, 2024, the first case, a 42-year-old male truck driver, was identified at the Taita Taveta One-Stop Border Point (OSBP) on July 22, 2024. The index case had a travel history, arriving in Kenya from Uganda on July 12, 2024.
As of November 7, 2024, Kenya has reported a total of 17 confirmed Mpox cases across 11 counties: Nakuru (3), Nairobi (2), Mombasa (2), Kajiado (2), Bungoma (2), Taita Taveta (1), Busia (1), Makueni (1), Kericho (1), Kilifi (1), and Uasin Gishu (1). The outbreak has resulted in a 5.9% case fatality rate, with one death recorded.
As a Program Officer with the Kenya Red Cross Society, working in Turkana County, specifically within the Kakuma and Kalobeyei refugee settlements, I have been coordinating anticipatory interventions in response to Mpox in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and key partners such as UNHCR, IOM, and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) since July 2024.
Through proactive community engagement, we have successfully trained 67 community health promoters and 120 community leaders from both the refugee camps and the host Turkana communities. These trained individuals have played a crucial role in raising awareness about Mpox case definitions and assisting in the referral of suspected cases to local health facilities.
To date, Turkana County has not reported any Mpox cases, either within the refugee camps or surrounding border areas. This success is attributed to our ongoing collaboration with the Ministry of Health and partners, employing active surveillance and risk communication strategies to maintain the status quo.
In our efforts to further spread awareness, we have conducted 12 radio talk shows and 8 radio spots sessions, reaching over 450,000 community members. These initiatives were funded by the Kenya Red Cross and led by disease surveillance, health promotion coordinators, and medical officers from both county and sub-county levels.
I would also like to express my gratitude for the support I have received from the CES Kenya Scholarship Program, which has enabled me to pursue a Master's degree in Public Health with a focus on Health Promotion. The knowledge and skills I have gained continue to enhance my ability to serve the underserved communities in Turkana County and the broader North Rift Region.
