Kenya has made substantial advancements in tackling drug-resistant TB (DR-TB), with 750 patients started on second-line treatment.
The introduction of shorter, patient-friendly regimens for multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) has significantly improved patient adherence and health outcomes.
Speaking Monday during the commemoration of World Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2025, Principal Secretary, State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni Muriuki, said Kenya remains a high TB and TB/HIV burden country.
“Despite this, we have made commendable strides in combating TB, and in 2024 alone, the National TB Programme diagnosed and initiated treatment for 96,865 individuals, reflecting continued success in TB management,” the PS said in a speech read on her behalf by Dr. Joseph Lenai, Directorate Preventive, Promotive Health Services and Disease Control.
The PS added that the country’s treatment success rate stands at an impressive 89 per cent, underscoring the effectiveness of Kenya’s innovative strategies in TB care.
Muriuki noted that TB is not merely a medical condition but a social disease deeply rooted in factors such as poverty, malnutrition, overcrowded living conditions, and inadequate healthcare access and therefore addressing TB requires all to go beyond medical interventions and tackle the underlying determinants of health.
“A comprehensive approach to TB control must involve collaboration across multiple sectors. We must strengthen our partnerships with non-health sectors,” she noted, saying the education sector could promote TB awareness in schools, ensuring young people understood the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.
Muriuki added that the housing and urban development sectors played a pivotal role in improving living conditions, reducing overcrowding, and preventing the spread of infection, and the labour sector must ensure that workplaces prioritise occupational health and safety, especially in industries prone to TB transmission, while the social protection sector should provide financial and nutritional support to TB-affected families to minimise the economic burden of the disease.
The PS noted that investment in better healthcare systems, advanced diagnostics, accessible treatments, and comprehensive prevention measures is the cornerstone of success in this battle but added that investments must extend beyond the health sector.
“We must invest in raising awareness about TB prevention, eliminating stigma, and empowering individuals to seek care without fear of discrimination.
We must mobilise the media as a powerful ally in the fight against TB. By working together with media partners, we can combat stigma, promote early diagnosis, and encourage communities to take proactive measures in TB prevention and treatment,” she said.
“The time to act is now. We possess the tools, knowledge and, most importantly, the commitment to make ending TB a reality,” PS Muriuki said.
WHO Country Representative Dr. Diallo Abdourahmane commended Kenya for its sustained efforts and commitment to fighting TB, saying that the country has made significant progress, being among the seven high TB burden countries globally to achieve a 41 per cent reduction in TB incidence and a 60 per cent reduction in TB deaths.
“The country remains a pathfinder in the region for scaling up digital tools, rapid molecular diagnostics, and shorter, more effective treatment regimens and embracing innovations,” he said, noting that although these achievements were commendable, there are systemic bottlenecks that come in the way of realising the full aspiration of the country.
“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,” Dr. Abdourahmane said.
Furthermore, 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.
As we observe World TB Day 2025, WHO calls on all stakeholders in Kenya—policymakers, the donor community, the private sector, the health workforce, civil society, and affected communities—to take urgent action through concerted efforts to address the social determinants of TB, deliver people-centred services and guarantee equitable and sustainable TB care to all.
The theme for this year’s World TB Day 2025 is “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver“.
By Wangari Ndirangu
