WHO Applauds Kenya's Ongoing Battle Against Tuberculosis
Click to start listening
Synopsis
The World Health Organization has praised Kenya for its ongoing commitment to fighting tuberculosis, highlighting significant reductions in incidence and mortality rates, alongside innovative treatment strategies.
Key Takeaways
- Kenya achieved a 41% decline in TB incidence.
- There was a 60% decrease in TB-related deaths in 2023.
- The country has a 89% treatment success rate.
- Kenya is addressing drug-resistant TB effectively.
- World Tuberculosis Day aims to raise awareness of TB.
Nairobi, March 25 (NationPress) The World Health Organization (WHO) has praised Kenya for its ongoing commitment to combating tuberculosis (TB).
Diallo Abdourahmane, the WHO representative in Kenya, noted that the East African country has made remarkable advancements. Among the seven nations globally burdened with high TB rates, Kenya has achieved a 41% reduction in TB incidence and a 60% reduction in TB deaths in 2023.
"The nation is a leader in the region for enhancing digital tools, rapid molecular diagnostics, and shorter, more effective treatment protocols while adopting innovations," Abdourahmane stated during the observance of World Tuberculosis Day in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
The UN official mentioned that due to the effects of climate change impacting food security, leading to undernutrition and increasing vulnerabilities to TB, Eastern African nations must intensify their efforts in managing tuberculosis, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Mary Muriuki, the principal secretary at the Ministry of Health, emphasized Kenya's remarkable 89% treatment success rate, demonstrating the effectiveness of the country’s innovative TB care approaches.
She also highlighted that Kenya has made substantial progress in addressing drug-resistant TB, with 750 patients beginning second-line treatment.
"The introduction of shorter, patient-friendly regimens for multidrug-resistant TB and rifampicin-resistant TB has greatly enhanced patient adherence and health outcomes," she remarked.
Muriuki noted that Kenya, similar to numerous countries within the WHO African region, continues to face high TB incidence and mortality rates. It is among the top 20 countries with the highest burdens of TB and TB/HIV, accounting for 80% of incident cases globally.
In 2023, Kenya recorded approximately 124,000 TB cases and 15,000 deaths, making tuberculosis the leading cause of mortality in the country, according to the Ministry of Health.
According to the WHO, TB remains a significant global health issue and the primary cause of death from infectious diseases, despite being preventable and curable.
World Tuberculosis Day was commemorated on March 24. This day aims to raise public awareness about the global TB epidemic and initiatives to eliminate the disease. In 2018, around 10 million individuals fell ill with TB, and 1.5 million died from the disease, primarily in low and middle-income nations.
