The County Government of Uasin Gishu has raised a red flag over rising cases of Tuberculosis (TB) amongst residents.
County Executive Committee Member for Health Services Dr Sam Kotut says during a TB screening exercise in December 2022, 1,907 locals were found to be having the disease.
Dr Kotut says the figure is the highest the county has ever recorded during past similar exercises.
This is despite measures put in place by the devolved unit to prevent the spread of the disease.
Dr. Kotut spoke in Eldoret town on Friday, February 17, 2023, during the launch of a one-month free screening exercise that will be done in all county health facilities.
The county has 138 health facilities.
According to the Health Executive, the increase in reported TB cases to due to enhanced efforts by the county to create awareness in rural areas.
Doubled budget
“More people are also being tested and screened compared to the past,” added Dr Kotut.
But as a mitigation to rising TB cases, the CECM said the county has doubled up a budget for medicines and disease surveillance to Ksh 200 million from the previous figure of Ksh 100 million in order to also cover all communicable and none communicable diseases.
The County Executive further urged residents to come out in large numbers for the free screening exercise saying those that will be found infected will be treated free of charge and given information on how not to infect others.
Launch of the free TB screening exercise is in readiness to the upcoming World TB Day commemoration.
The national event will be marked in Uasin Gishu County.
World TB Day is commemorated annually on 24th March.
