The Trump administration is in active talks with Kenya and other international partners to set up a quarantine and treatment hub near the epicentre of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Africa, with senior US officials arguing that potentially exposed Americans should be treated close to the outbreak zone rather than flown back to the United States. The push was outlined at a White House news conference on 3 June, where Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr Mehmet Oz said proximity to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was central to Washington's response strategy.

Why Washington wants treatment near the outbreak

Oz, drawing on his background as a cardiac surgeon, said keeping treatment facilities close to the DRC would allow faster intervention if a patient deteriorated. ‘The main issue with having a facility close to the Democratic Republic of the Congo is if a patient is sick again, speak as a heart doctor, I want to take the patient to the O.R. that's right next door to the room they're sick in,' he said.

He added that long-haul transfers of suspected cases were risky. ‘Sending them across the world, especially when we're not sure what's going on with them, is probably not the wisest move,' Oz said.

Kenya talks and contingency options

The comments came amid questions over where American aid workers or first responders exposed to Ebola would be treated if Kenya declines to host the facility. Oz expressed confidence in diplomatic efforts being led by the State Department, calling Kenya ‘a beautiful country' with ‘very sophisticated people'.

‘We are confident in the State Department is working on this diligently that they're going to be able to work out something with Kenya,' he said, adding that he expected Secretary Marco Rubio's leadership to deliver ‘a very favorable arrangement'.

Should the Kenyan arrangement fall through, Washington has fallbacks. ‘There are other people who might be willing to welcome us and we have our German colleagues as well,' Oz said. ‘So there's many places we can send folks.'

Screening and federal coordination

The broader US response includes funding for treatment efforts in affected regions and enhanced screening at major international airports. ‘We have very purposefully put up testing tools and mechanisms at the major airports for that people will be traveling through,' Oz said.

The federal effort is being coordinated by National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr Jay Bhattacharya, with support from Dr Heidi Overton and other White House officials. Oz described it as ‘a well constructed game plan'.

Stakes ahead of major sporting events

The diplomatic urgency is sharpened by the United States preparing to host major international sporting events expected to draw large overseas crowds. Asked whether the policy of not flying exposed Americans home could deter healthcare volunteers, Oz said he did not believe so.

Ebola is a severe viral disease that can cause haemorrhagic fever, with historical case-fatality rates ranging from 25 to 90 per cent depending on the outbreak and available care, according to public health authorities. Rapid isolation, testing and treatment remain the standard playbook to curb transmission — a framework the Kenya hub, if finalised, is designed to support.