Meru county reported 73 cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis last year, a trend TB coordinator Eunice Kanana said is worrying.
The county also has the third highest TB burden after Nairobi and Kiambu, according to a new report. Its cases dropped from 4,168 to 3,651.
Kanana said health experts are trying to understand the cause for the high rate of drug resistance.
“We are doing research on the cases to establish the cause. We have cases of patients being given drugs and failing to take them leading to drug resistance,” she said.
She said Igembe South is the most affected by TB cases while Igembe North, Imenti South and Imenti North subcounties follow respectively.
Kanana suggested the Covid-19 pandemic might have caused a surge in TB cases due to residents keeping away from hospitals.
She said most people seek treatment while its late while others buy over the counter drugs without visiting hospitals.
“Those who are alcoholic do not take balanced diets making them prone to the disease,” she said.
Kanana said they will carry out screenings across the county especially in areas believed to be hotspots.
She urged the county government to allocate more funds to civil societies that fight the disease.
The funds will enable the organisations to roll out campaigns for screening and awareness to boost treatment and eradication of TB.
The World TB Day was celebrated on Wednesday with the theme 'The Clock is Ticking'.
(edited by o. owino)
