The Ministry of Health in Kenya has introduced a strategy to tackle tuberculosis. Revealed on Monday by Mary Muthoni, the Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, the plan is called the National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis, Leprosy, and Lung Health.
The five-year strategic plan, which is to run from this year to 2028, aims to ensure quality care for TB, leprosy and lung diseases for all Kenyans.
Speaking during the launch, PS Muthoni raised concern about what she termed “the scourge.”
The PS said that the ministry is committed to further reducing the number of cases of TB reported in a year.
“In 2022, Kenya reported a total of 90,560 drug-sensitive TB cases, an increase compared to the 77,854 cases reported in 2021,” she said.
Muthoni went further to caution medical professionals against cases of misdiagnosis, which have led to deaths in some cases where patients suffered from tuberculosis.
She said that the ministry is working with the CDC, WHO and USAID to make Kenya a Tubeculosis free nation.
She said the plan will be an inclusive guide that will be used in the fight to end TB in Kenya.
Mary also called for other ministries to partner with the Ministry of Health to address TB.
She assured Kenyans that the ministry is working to empower those affected by the disease, especially in rural areas.
The launch also calls for curbing misinformation about tuberculosis.
Data from the Ministry of Health in November 2023 shows case finding and treatment have improved after a sharp drop in 2020.
Last year, 90,841 people with TB were identified, out of the estimated 112,000.
In 2020, the number of identified cases had dropped to 72,943, which means more people with TB remained untreated, potentially infecting others.
The figures were released by the National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Lung Disease Programme (NTLLDP).
The number of people with drug-resistant TB dropped from 957 in 2020 to 756 last year.