• Kibuchi said the national government should put more emphasis in the fight against TB as has been done in the war against Covid-19 in terms of budget.
• Mukomunene said the government should up its disease eradication campaigns so that by 2030, no person suffers from the treatable and curable disease.
The government has been urged to increase TB awareness campaigns to fight stigma, which has been cited as the main hindrance for early screening.
Stop TB Partnership Kenya chief national coordinator Evalyn Kibuchi said on Wednesday stigma has denied TB patients free will to access hospitals for fear of being isolated or told they suffer from HIV-Aids.
"Anytime one coughs they are claimed to be suffering from TB. Some think they will be isolated as it used to be," she said.
Kibuchi also said the national government should put more emphasis in the fight against TB as has been done in the war against Covid-19 in terms of budget.
"My message to national and county governments is to allocate funds to fight TB. I urge the president to implement his commitment to the fight as he declared during the New York United Nations Assembly Special meeting.”
She spoke in Meru town during the formation of nationwide representative champions against the disease.
Kibuchi said there has been limited advocacy and public sensitisation in the fight against the disease, despite the World Health Organization declaring TB among the leading killer diseases.
“Some 32,000 people died in 2019 alone and going by this data, about 80 people die each from TB. Thirty counties carry the heaviest burden. There is increased stigma and infections,” she said.
Kibuchi said it is alarming that Meru is second with TB patients after Kiambu.
Emily Mukomunene, a TB champion who has experienced the pain brought about by the disease, said the government should up its disease eradication campaigns so that by 2030, no person suffers from the treatable and curable disease.
She said people from Meru county are more infected probably because of their socialisation culture, ignorance for checkups and stigma.
Mukomunene asked counties to empower community health volunteers on sensitisation and eradication measures to curb the spread of the disease.
“Most Kenyans live in poverty, making it hard for them to go for early screening and detection. What some patients crave for is not affordable," she said.
She said health workers should be allowed to visit schools for sensitisation and screening.