The Ministry of Health has reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to eradicating tuberculosis in the country.
Speaking during the 4th Africa TB Summit 2023 in Nairobi on Thursday, Mary Muthoni noted that Kenya has adopted evidence-based and data-driven interventions in policy decisions and implementation of TB programmes.
This, she said, has yielded promising results surpassing key impact indicators for TB over the past few years.
Muthoni is the PS, State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards.
“Kenya is now the first country to adopt and implement improved child-friendly TB medicines and injection-free regimens for the treatment of drug-resistant TB cases,” the PS said.
Due to the sustained effort, Kenya has achieved a substantial reduction in new TB infections between 2015 and 2020 by 32 per cent exceeding the global target of 20 per cent.
Additionally, the country recorded a remarkable 44 per cent reduction in TB-related deaths, surpassing the global target of 35 per cent within the same period.
“Kenya has taken proactive measures to enhance TB diagnosis by widely adopting and scaling up the use of World Health Organization (WHO) approved molecular tests for TB diagnosis across all counties, a crucial step in ensuring accurate and efficient detection of the disease,” the PS said.
She however emphasised the need for concerted efforts at the local, regional, and international levels.
Recognizing TB as a social disease, she called for concerted collaboration among stakeholders to address the public health challenges effectively.
The Africa TB Summit 2023 has played a significant role in uniting TB control efforts across different regions.
It has also provided a vital platform for stakeholders to explore strategic collaborations, aiming to ensure a comprehensive and impactful response to TB in the country.
