The country recorded nine confirmed cases, including two deaths. No new infection has been reported since October 19, 2026. However, the critical 42-day countdown towards declaring the outbreak over has not yet begun. It will start once the last patient is discharged after meeting the required recovery criteria.
As Kenya moves closer to declaring itself Ebola free, reflections have been made about the country's preparedness, response and the human cost of containing the disease.
The country recorded nine confirmed cases, including two deaths. No new infection has been reported since October 19, 2026. However, the critical 42-day countdown towards declaring the outbreak over has not yet begun. It will start once the last patient is discharged after meeting the required recovery criteria.
This week's She Means Business takes stock of Kenya's response.
In a conversation with outgoing World Medical Association President Dr Jacqueline Kitulu, we reflect on the experiences of people who were placed in quarantine, some of whom described feeling stripped of their dignity, living with fear and anxiously counting down to successive negative Ebola tests before they could return home.
Their experiences raise an important question: how do authorities balance public safety and disease containment with the dignity, rights and wellbeing of those affected?
