More funding needed to end spread of TB
The country requires Sh2.2 billion annual funding deficit to address a number of gaps in the general management of tuberculosis to stop transmission. This is even as the Ministry of Health exuded confidence that the country is on a good trajectory towards a TB-free generation.
Yesterday, Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni said in the past decade, Kenya has made remarkable strides in combating TB, with 1.2 million diagnoses and successful treatment of one million patients, preventing over 500,000 deaths.
“These achievements position Kenya as the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to meet World Health Organisation (WHO) targets for TB case detection and treatment success,” she said in a statement.
She noted that accessible free TB testing and treatment services across over 4,000 public and private health facilities have been instrumental in this success. w“To enhance TB testing services further, the government has introduced 120 GeneXpert machines for rapid testing of TB and its drug-resistant variants, making Kenya a leader in Africa in leveraging modern technology for TB diagnosis,” Muthoni added.
She noted that quality assurance measures ensure adherence to standards, while the availability of digital X-ray machines in all counties bolsters testing services nationwide.
However, on the other dark side, every year, Kenya requires an estimated Sh4 billion to manage TB prevention, case finding, treatment, and laboratory support which include equipment and diagnostics, according to experts.
This funding, according to Aids Healthcare Foundation Country Director, Dr Samuel Kinyanjui, is also needed for training and research, two important components in the fight against TB that have for long missed out on the budgeting.
