Lodwar – November 4, 2025 (Public Communications and Media Relations)
The Department for Health and Sanitation has engaged the Public and Private Mix (PPM) Technical Working Group on strengthening and managing tuberculosis (TB) cases in Turkana County.
The meeting, supported by World Relief Kenya under the Amref-Global Fund project, was poised to scale up and elevate the management of the private-sector in the fight against TB, with 38% already engaged and offering TB services.
The PPM approach aims to expand private-sector engagement to manage the TB burden to efficiently improve access to TB services and enhance the quality of care in the private sector.
Addressing the meeting, theTurkana Central TB, Leprosy and Lung Diseases Coordinator Ng’asike Jonah mentioned the importance of taking healthcare services to the community level, outlining that it will reduce case referrals, enhance early detection, intensify screening, increase contact tracing, and manage TB defaulters.
“We have so far trained 70 community Health Promoters and 40 Community Health Assistants to manage TB cases as part of strengthening the capacity building of health-care staff,” he said.
Turkana Professionals Association Chairperson Jackson Nakusa advocated for the inclusion of nutrition interventions across TB programs.
“By supporting TB patients who are on treatment, they will be able to avoid defaulting further increasing treatment adherence,” he said.
Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Oliver Lokoroi highlighted key areas the county and World Relief Kenya will support.
These interventions were to support the training of laboratory officers in TB diagnostic services and to offer incentives for GeneXpert hubs to handle additional TB workload.
Community Health Services Focal Person, Kibish Sub-county, Gary Lotoot, emphasized the importance of engaging Community Health Promoters to identify and refer treatment defaulters to healthcare facilities, and to trace contacts through household visits to reduce TB spread.
According to the Patient Pathways Analysis 2017, 27% of people with TB symptoms seek care from private healthcare providers who have an inadequate capacity of TB care and control.
This prompted the urge to engage private medical service providers in managing TB cases.Among those present were officials from World Relief Kenya, Asegis Community-based Organisation, Faith-based Organisation, Lodwar Hills Hospital, and Namo Hospital.
