West Pokot partners with Dutch lobby to fight TB in the county

The County Government of West Pokot has partnered with the Dutch Kenyan Health Foundation to enhance the fight against tuberculosis in the region.

CEC for Health and Sanitation Claire Parklea chaired discussions with representatives from the foundation, which will offer technical support, to agree on how the initiative will be rolled out.

The county and DKHF will ink an MoU to formalise the partnership which aims to enhance TB prevention, early detection, treatment and community awareness across West Pokot.

“We value the importance of strategic partnerships in addressing communicable diseases and achieving better health outcomes for residents,” Parklea said.

The CEC said the region continues to experience health challenges due to its vast and remote terrain and needs adequate resources to carry out sensitisation and other campaigns on the fight against the disease.

TB prevalence in the region was high, hence the need for interventions to reverse the same, she added. 

Recent figures indicate that West Pokot reported 1,617 drug-sensitive TB cases last year, with 220 of them being child patients, accounting for 14 per cent.

The signing is expected to take place soon in the presence of Governor Simon Kachapin.

The MoU will facilitate technical support, resource mobilisation and capacity building for healthcare workers to improve TB service delivery.

Parklea reaffirmed their commitment to improving public health through collaborative and innovative approaches.

Chief officer Priscilla Chebet, who was also at the engagement, commended DKHF for their willingness to partner with the county in strengthening TB control and investing in the health and well-being of the West Pokot community.

On their part, the Dutch Kenyan Health Foundation team expressed optimism that the collaboration will make a significant impact in reducing the TB burden in the county and advancing overall community health.