Kenyan government seeks church help to contain Ebola

By the end of last week, authorities had confirmed nine Ebola cases in Kenya, two of them fatal. The cases are of the more deadly Bundibugyo strain. The health ministry said there was no community transmission and sought support of churches and faith groups to prevent a possible outbreak.

Last week, the health ministry asked priests, pastors and other faith leaders to integrate health messages into sermons, announcements and community programmes, to help dispel rumours, encourage early reporting and ensure an environment of dignity and support.

The request acknowledged that the government depends on churches’ moral authority and widespread reach to deliver preventive messages across the country.  

Many churches had already begun promoting regular handwashing with soap and clean water, urging compassion over stigma and providing guidance on safe burial practices.

However, churches and other faith leaders have demanded more government transparency, increased health surveillance and more preparedness, such as ready quarantine and treatment centres to check local spread of the disease.

The first Ebola patient in Kenya – one of the two who have died – had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Churches in DR Congo continue to respond to the disease, with the death toll reaching 4700 out of 9700 cases spread across eight provinces.

FULL STORY

Kenyan government seeks churches’ help to contain spread of Ebola (By Fredrick Nzwili/The Tablet)