A victim of Guinea Worm. WHO has declared Kenya Guinea Worm free.[Photo/npr.org]
The World Health Organization has declared Kenya free from Guinea Worm Disease.
The International Certification Team Mission led by Joel Breman was in the country from 1st December, to assess whether Kenya was to be certified to be Guinea Worm free.
The team had until 20th December, 2017 to assess the country’s Guinea Worm Report, which was submitted to the World Health Organization in July 2016 and subsequently updated in August 2017.
On Monday, the Guinea Worm Internal Commission delivered its verdict to the Ministry of Health.
According to the tweet by WHO, the verdict indicated that no evidence was found on Guinea Worm Disease following the good surveillance done in the country.
Kenya will however wait for Global Commission on Eradication to review the report and decide on certification in February 2018.
“Today Guinea Worm Internal Commission delivered its verdict to the Ministry of Health of Kenya; no evidence found of Guinea Worm transmission, good surveillance! Next step: Global Commission on Eradication to review the report and decide on certification in Feb 2018,” read the tweet.
Kenya started its long road to be certified of the disease in 1994. The last reported case was identified and treated in 2005.