•The World Health Organisation estimates that 133,000 people in the country could be having TB
•Despite the WHO estimate, only 90,560 cases were notified as a result of intensified case-finding initiatives
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At least 42,000 people with Tuberculosis were either missed or not notified in 2022, the latest report from the Ministry of Health shows.
This means they might be infecting others unknowingly hence leading to increased transmission of TB infection in communities and resulting in more people developing the disease.
The report by the Division of National Tuberculosis Leprosy and Lung Disease Programme says that the World Health Organisation estimates that 133,000 people in the country could be having TB.
Despite the WHO estimate, only 90,560 cases were notified as a result of intensified case-finding initiatives through the Active Case Finding (ACF) strategy at health facility and community levels.
“Despite the modest increase in case notification, the country fell short of identifying the WHO-estimated 133,000 incident cases suggesting that at least 32 per cent of people with TB were either missed or not notified in that year,” it says.
Nine counties reported an increase in case notification of 28 per cent or more in 2022.
They include Vihiga, Murang’a, Marsabit, Kajiado, Nakuru, Uasin Gishu, Kiambu, Nyeri and Garissa.
From the report, 59,162 (65 per cent) of the cases diagnosed with TB in 2022 were men with the highest proportion being in the age group 25 to 44 years.
“This indicates a need to have targeted interventions for men, especially in the age group 25-44 years which forms 45 per cent of all patients notified,” it says.
Kenya is one of the 30 high-burden countries that together account for more than 80 per cent of the world's TB cases.
According to the report, 11 per cent (10,324) of the cases were children below the age of 14 years with 6,252 cases being among those below the age of four years and 4,072 between five and 14 years.