Each day, close to 3,425 people lose their lives to Tuberculosis
and close to 30,000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease
globally.
In Kenya, statistics by the National TB, Leprosy and Lung Disease programme show that 266 people fall ill with TB every day; 11 people every hour while 14 people die every day from TB translating to one person every two hours.
Kenya on Monday joined the rest of the world in marking World TB Day. This year’s day was organised under the theme, ‘Yes! We can end TB: Commit, invest and deliver’.
Health experts warn that TB has probably returned to being the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, following three years in which it was replaced by Covid-19.
It was also the leading killer of people with HIV and a major cause of deaths related to antimicrobial resistance.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by bacteria that most often affects the lungs. It spreads through the air when people with TB cough, sneeze or spit. Tuberculosis is preventable and curable.
Those who are infected but free of disease cannot transmit it. TB disease is usually treated with antibiotics and can be fatal without treatment.
“TB is not merely a medical condition. It is a social disease deeply rooted in factors such as poverty, malnutrition, overcrowded living conditions, and inadequate healthcare access,” Public Health and Professional Standards PS Mary muthoni says.
According to Muthoni, addressing TB requires to go beyond medical interventions and tackle the underlying determinants of health.
“People living in marginalised communities often face systemic barriers to healthcare. Limited financial resources, lack of information, and fear of stigma deter individuals from seeking diagnosis and treatment,” Muthoni says.
She has noted that a comprehensive approach to TB control must involve collaboration across multiple sectors.
According to WHO, TB disease occurs when bacteria multiply in the body and affect different organs.
TB symptoms may be mild for many months, so it is easy to spread TB to others without knowing it. Some people with TB disease do not have any symptoms.
Common symptoms include prolonged cough (sometimes with blood), chest pain, weakness, fatigue, weight loss, fever and night sweats.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says Tuberculosis (TB) remains a persistent global health challenge and the leading cause of death due to infectious diseases, despite being both preventable and curable.
The WHO Country Representative Dr Abdourahmane Diallo says its impact is disproportionately felt by the most vulnerable, the impoverished, undernourished, and marginalised populations.
According to the WHO Global TB report 2024, the burden of TB was immense, with over 10.8 million individuals falling ill, up from 10.7 million in 2022 and 10.4 million in 2021.
An estimated 1.25 million children and adolescents continue to fall ill, and close to 1.2 million deaths worldwide.
“Kenya, like many countries in the WHO African Region, continues to experience high TB incidence and mortality and remains one of the top 20 high-burden TB and TB/HIV countries globally that collectively contributing to 80 per cent of the incident cases,” Diallo notes.
In 2023 alone, Kenya recorded an estimated 124,000 TB cases and 15,000 deaths, making TB the leading cause of death in the country, the WHO said.
Diallo has raised concern that despite progress Kenya has made in eliminating TB, a significant proportion of TB cases still go undetected, and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) continues to pose a major threat, with 60 per cent of drug-resistant TB cases being missed.
In addition, TB-affected households in Kenya experience significant financial burdens, underscoring the need for social protection measures to ensure equitable access to care.
“Coupled with limited unpredictable resources, and emerging epidemics, all these, threaten to reverse gains made by the country. Today, we continue to witness the impact of climate change that is impacting food security resulting in undernutrition, posing a potential threat and compounding vulnerabilities to TB.”
The WHO is calling on all stakeholders in Kenya; policymakers, donor community, private sector, health workforce, civil society, and affected communities to take urgent action through concerted efforts to address the social determinants of TB, deliver people-centered services and guarantee equitable and sustainable TB care to all.
The National Assembly Health Committee chairperson Dr James Nyikal says even though the country has made progress in reducing the burden of TB, there are challenges such as the burden of drug-resistant TB which need to be addressed.
“With TB the reservoir is the sick person. Prevention will require treating people with TB so that there will be no one to transmit the disease,” he says.
He has also noted that efforts should be directed towards improving the standards of living for vulnerable populations since TB virus thrives in densely populated settings and poorly ventilated rooms.
Similarly, certain conditions can increase a person’s risk for TB disease. They include diabetes (high blood sugar), weakened immune system (for example, from HIV or AIDS), being malnourished, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol.
“Having TB and HIV is a double tragedy. Creating awareness is significant when it comes to detection and treatment of TB,” Peter Odenyo from Nephak says.
According to Odenyo, there is need to invest in communities where most of the infections are taking place, noting that in most cases people show up in health facilities when it is too late.
People with TB infection don’t feel sick and aren’t contagious. Only a small proportion of people who get infected with TB will get TB disease and symptoms. Babies and children are at higher risk.
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