The Director of Medical Services, Dr. Jackson Kioko hands over the findings of Kenya’s First TB Patient Cost Survey report to the Parliamentary TB Caucus chairman Stephen Mule
The Director of Medical Services, Dr. Jackson Kioko disseminating the findings of Kenya’s first TB patient cost survey.
The Director of Medical Services, Dr. Jackson Kioko hands over the findings of Kenyas First TB Patient Cost Survey report to the TB organizing Committee after the launch.
A copy of Kenya’s first TB patient cost survey report
Nairobi, KENYA 4 July 2018 – Plans are underway to include Tuberculosis treatment in the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) benefit package the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Health Sicily Kariuki said on Wednesday when he released the results of the Kenya’s First Tuberculosis Patient Cost Survey.
The CS who was represented by the Director of Medical Services, Dr. Jackson Kioko said all households affected by TB will be linked to existing social protection and food security programs.
The ministry will also improve TB sample referral mechanisms and offer free diagnostic and treatment while ensuring availability of services, to cushion patients against indirect costs they incur while seeking treatment, the CS said.
She highlighted that although TB diagnosis and treatment is free, the medical, nutrition and transport costs associated with seeking and receiving health care related to loss of income and may worsen poverty and health.
“Such costs make TB patients less likely to present for care, complete TB testing, and initiate and adhere to treatment, they place an economic burden on households, worsening poverty and increasing deaths due to the disease,” she said.
The survey revealed that patients with Drug Resistant TB spends an average of Sh. 145,109 during treatment whereas those with Drug sensitive TB incurs an estimated Sh. 25,874 direct and indirect costs.
According to the survey, 62.5% of Drug resistant TB patients lost jobs due to TB and in 9.3% of TB affected households’ children interrupted schooling. In 2017, Kenya reported and treated 85,188 TB patients, among them 7,771 children, making Kenya one of the countries with the highest burden of the disease
The CS revealed that as part of effort to reduce the cost of seeking health care under the Universal Health Coverage goal (UHC), the Government is in the process of scaling up health insurance enrolment. She noted that health Insurance Subsidy Programs that include the medical cover for the Elderly people and People with Disabilities and the removal of User Fees in the public primary healthcare facilities will ease the cost of seeking health care.
The CS rooted for a multi-sectoral approach in planning, and implementation of appropriate and affordable primary healthcare interventions that will contribute in ending TB and transform the lives of Kenyans.
She alluded the National TB, Leprosy and Lung Disease Program for conducting the study noting that it is in line with the World Health Organization strategy to End TB by 2035, and the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) which include elimination of catastrophic costs for TB patients.