A dispute over property ownership has placed the World Health Organisation’s, WHO, plans to establish an emergency hub in Kenya in peril.
Due to the disagreement, the vice chancellor of one of Kenya’s premier universities was fired. The Kenyan government gave space at the institution to the WHO and the Africa CDC for the construction of a regional emergency hub.
According to sources, the facility will have a training center, housing for professionals who can respond to a medical emergency within the first 24 hours, and stockpiles of medical supplies.
On Saturday, the $5 million (Ksh591million) facility’s development was officially opened by the Kenyan government and WHO.
The Kenyatta University, however, objected to the allocation, claiming it had been made without their consent.
Vice Chancellor of the university received public criticism from President Uhuru Kenyatta, who promised to take rapid action against individuals opposed to the initiative.
The African continent encounters more health emergencies than any other part of the world each year, and the COVID-19 epidemic has highlighted the continent’s sluggish emergency preparedness.
Less than 10% of African nations have the manpower necessary to identify, prepare for, and respond to dangers to the public’s health. The organization also notes that the new centre will aid in the training of 3000 elite emergency responders on the continent.
According to the WHO, the hub’s overarching goal is to guarantee that every African nation has at least one cohesive team of emergency specialists that can be sent out within 24 hours of a national health crisis.