Cabinet Secretary for Health Dr. Cleopa Mailu,

Principal Secretary for Health Dr. Nicholas Muraguri,

Acting Director of Medical Services Dr. Jackson Kioko,

Nairobi County CEC for Health Dr. Bernard Muia,

African Parliamentarians TB Caucus Representative Stephen Mule,

WHO Representative Dr. Custodia Mandlhate,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Good morning! 

I am honored to join all of you for today’s World TB Day commemoration.

Year after year, we come together to discuss progress made in eradicating TB, and to renew our resolve in this fight. Why do we note this day every year?

 The answer is simple: TB causes death, diminishes quality of life and weakens economies. Even though such diseases as Ebola and Zika make headlines, tuberculosis is the leading infectious killer in the world, affecting people of all ages and killing an estimated 3,800 every day.

In Kenya, where we have one of the highest TB prevalence rates in the world, thousands are infected and die every year, particularly those  with HIV.  Those with TB suffer greatly, and by extension, so do their families. This disease prevents Kenyans from working, providing for their children, and from paying school fees. It makes getting by in life hard,and as TB is spread through the air, it is easy for family members and others close to them to become infected. Even worse, multi-drug-resistant TB is on the rise, posing new challenges to successful treatment.

The impact of TB on national economies and overall development cannot be ignored. Studies show that by 2050, TB could cost the world $16.7 trillion dollars in lost employment, treatment costs and mortality. In Kenya, more than half of all TB cases in 2015 were in young people, the backbone of the Kenyan economy. Unless we accelerate our momentum to treat and ultimately eradicate TB, this deadly disease will threaten the economic and development vision embodied in Kenya’s Vision 2030.

Despite the enormous challenges we face in the fight against TB, there has been progress. In 2015, about 80,000 Kenyans were diagnosed with TB. That’s a lot of Kenyans, but it is worth noting that this number has declined by nearly 10,000 from 2014. Three-years into devolution, the Government of Kenya and development partners have demonstrated unwavering commitment to eliminating TB. I commend the Ministry of Health for its leadership in engaging counties in TB control and for advocating for greater resources toward TB. There’s no doubt these efforts have contributed to the decline in cases since devolution.

The United States is a committed partner of the Government of Kenya in these endeavors and invests millions of Kenyan shillings each year to conduct research, improve service delivery, and support the development of national strategies. We also work to control HIV/TB co-infection with assistance from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). We support the use of technology and innovation to help reduce TB incidence through the roll-out of Tibu, a real-time, case-based electronic system implemented through the USAID TB-ARC project. CDC, with the support of USAID, is conducting groundbreaking studies to improve diagnosis of TB in children and increase TB case-detection.

This year, Kenya’s World TB Day slogan is:  “Mulika TB! Maliza TB!” (Find TB! End TB!). This slogan, a pledge to rid Kenya of TB, is incredibly timely. Last year, the first TB prevalence survey since Kenyan independence was carried out. This study was a monumental undertaking. When the results are released later this year, this survey will, for the first time, provide county-level data on prevalence across the country. Data from the survey will also provide crucial information on health-seeking behavior, so we can better reach those infected and provide them with treatment.  The survey results will help us have a clearer picture of the tuberculosis situation in Kenya, and help us refine our diagnostic and treatment approaches.

The elimination of TB can happen within our lifetimes, but it is no easy task for any country. All of us have a crucial role to play in this fight—whether we represent governments, donors, the private sector, civil society, health workers or patients. As partners, let’s continue to work together, to rid Kenya of the misery and suffering that accompany this disease, and to help Kenya meet its development goals toward 2030 and beyond.

 So, tumulike na tumalize TB pamoja! (So, let’s find and end TB together!)

Asanteni Sana.