Kenya takes bold step towards TB-Free future with 2030 Elimination Plan

KENYA—The Kenyan Ministry of Health has launched the TB Strategic Plan 2023-2028, which aims to eliminate tuberculosis (TB), leprosy, and other lung disorders by 2030.

This is in response to a major spike in Tuberculosis (TB) infections. Kenya recorded 90,841 TB cases in 2022, up from 77,854 cases reported in 2021, according to Ms. Mary Muthoni Muriuki, Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards at the Ministry.

This increases the proportion to 68% of the predicted 133,000 tuberculosis cases expected to appear that year, leaving 32% undetected and untreated. Additionally, there were 756 multidrug-resistant tuberculosis cases reported in 2022.

The plan aims to address the crisis by incorporating a community-centered Universal Health Coverage initiative that involves deploying Community Health Promoters for grassroots TB detection.

The people-centered plan unveiled today by Ms. Mary Muthoni, Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, emphasizes a bottom-up strategy, acknowledging challenges and proposing practical interventions.

The plan serves as a vital advocacy tool for mobilizing resources across sectors. We appreciate the immense support of our partners in the fight against TB, including the World Health Organization, USAID, and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), among others.

The 2023-2028 national strategic plan is a renewed push by the East African nation to accelerate momentum toward achieving the global goal of ending TB by 2030.

Ms. Muriuki noted Kenya is committed to eradicating tuberculosis, which often ravages poor communities.

“The strategic plan not only acknowledges the existing challenges in TB control but also proposes practical interventions to address the root causes of these barriers,” Muriuki stated at the launch of the TB elimination strategy in Nairobi, Kenya.

She stated that the complete implementation of the strategy will require ongoing investment, political goodwill, and strategic engagement between the government and the corporate sector.

According to Abdourahmane Diallo, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Kenya, more than 10.6 million people worldwide became ill as a result of tuberculosis (TB) in 2022, including an estimated 1.25 million children and adolescents, and the disease caused 1.1 million fatalities.

Diallo stated that the WHO has listed Kenya as one of the top 30 high-burden nations for tuberculosis, with a projected 128,000 infections and 17,000 deaths by 2022.

He praised Kenya’s TB elimination strategy, which was guided by the most recent WHO global guidance. This guidance advocates for putting individuals and communities at the forefront of combating the bacterial disease.

According to Diallo, the strategic plan is well-aligned with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) End TB Strategy, which aims to reduce cases, prevent fatalities, and minimize economic losses in nations affected by this highly infectious disease.

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