Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health challenge in Kenya, affecting around 120,000 people annually and ranking as the fifth leading cause of death, contributing to 3.2% of total deaths in 2020. The Ministry of Health estimates that the burden of TB is 426 cases per every 100,000 people.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks Kenya among the 30 countries with a high TB burden, collectively accounting for more than 86 percent of global TB cases. Kenya is one of the 14 countries globally to have appeared in all three lists of high-burden countries for TB, TB/HIV co-infection, and Multi-Drug Resistance TB (MDR-TB).
The traditional treatment for TB requires patients to take daily injections, which can be inconvenient and painful. In 2020, Kenya introduced a new treatment regimen that is free of injections.
This has made it easier for patients to adhere to their treatment and has led to improved outcomes. As a result of the new treatment regimen, Kenya has made significant progress in combating TB. The country has reduced new TB infections by approximately 32% and TB-related deaths by 44%.
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Despite this progress, challenges persist, such as underdiagnosis of TB cases. About 40 percent of TB cases go undetected each year. Efforts are being made to address this through molecular testing, which is faster and more cost-effective, leading to accurate diagnoses and improved treatment approaches. The goal remains to eliminate TB as a public health threat in Kenya by 2035