The Ministry of Health has launched a new Strategy to diagnose and cure at least 597,000 people with TB by the year 2023.
The National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Lung Disease 2019-2023 was launched by the Cabinet Secretary, Sicily Kariuki during the commemoration of the World Tuberculosis Day, at Thika Stadium, Kiambu County.
She said the strategy will ensure a patient cantered approach to TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care, that calls for the elimination of fees associated with diagnostic testing for TB, including chest radiography services.
“This is in line with His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta commitment to diagnose and cure at least 597,000 people with TB by the year 2023, including 55,000 children, 542,000 adults and 4,500 people with Multiple Drug Resistant (MDR) TB in addition to providing TB Preventive Therapy to at least 900,000 Kenyans at risk,” the CS emphasized.
In addition, the CS also launched “The Maliza TB County Initiative” to mobilize domestic efforts to support TB prevention, treatment and care.
“This initiative will be piloted in Kiambu County and it is envisaged that by the year 2025 that all the counties will be covered,” she noted.
The CS urged all the partners to double their efforts towards finding all the missed cases and put them on treatment as per the national call for “Mulika TB, Maliza TB.”
Tuberculosis remains a public health concern globally and nationally. In Kenya, TB is the fifth (5th) leading cause of death.
In the past one year, Kenya reported and treated 96,434 TB patients, among them 10,087 children and 669 Multiple Drug Resistant (MDR) TB cases.
Though TB diagnosis, medicines and nutritional support are offered free in all government and faith-based health facilities, 40% of the TB cases are missed annually.
Currently, the Ministry is partnering with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in conducting school health programs focusing on TB prevention in schools and other institutions of learning.
“I would like to urge all other sectors including line Ministries and corporate entities to identify and take up their crucial roles on TB response,” the said.