NTLDKenya

30/01/2026

Counties Step Up Lung Health Training for Frontline Health Workers

Health workers in Murang’a, Nakuru and Nairobi counties are undergoing targeted training aimed at improving the way chronic lung diseases are screened, detected and managed at the facility level. The initiative, led by the Ministry of Health through the Division of Tuberculosis and Other Lung Diseases (DTLD), is part of a wider effort to strengthen lung health services across the country.

The ongoing facility-based trainings cover all TB treatment sites and are designed to help healthcare workers respond more effectively to both tuberculosis and other long-term respiratory conditions. These include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and post-TB lung disease conditions that continue to affect many Kenyans long after initial treatment.

At the heart of the program is the Integrated Lung Health Service Delivery Approach, which promotes early screening, accurate diagnosis, proper treatment, clear referral pathways and consistent follow-up. By integrating these services into routine primary healthcare, the programme is shifting away from a narrow, disease-by-disease approach towards more comprehensive and patient-focused respiratory care.

The trainings are being conducted in partnership with the Clinton Health Access Initiative, with support from GlaxoSmithKline and the Gates Foundation. Frontline healthcare workers are gaining hands-on skills in using practical tools such as spirometry and peak flow meters, applying standard screening and treatment guidelines, interpreting chest X-rays, including those supported by AI, and making timely referrals within the health system.

Murang’a County has successfully rolled out the training across all its nine sub-counties, covering 123 primary healthcare facilities and equipping 215 healthcare workers with critical skills. Similar scale-up efforts are underway in Nakuru County, spanning all 11 sub-counties and reaching a diverse cadre of health workers, including Health Records and Information Officers (6), Laboratory Technologists (5), Nurses (29), Pharmaceutical Technologists (2), and Clinical Officers (39). In Nairobi County, the training has so far reached 98 healthcare workers across 46 facilities in all sub-counties.

27/01/2026

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐚 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 [𝐊𝐇𝐒𝐂]
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞: 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲
𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞: 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐚,𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐚
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝟓-𝟖 𝐌𝐚𝐲,𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

27/01/2026

25/01/2026

Today, as we mark World Leprosy Day, we are reminded that leprosy is curable.

Many myths still surround leprosy, yet the facts are clear: it is not hereditary, it is not caused by witchcraft. Leprosy is a bacterial disease, and treatment is FREE in all public hospitals.

Early diagnosis ensures complete cure, prevents deformities, and stops transmission. Let us choose compassion, accurate information, and support for those affected.

Together, we can end stigma and ensure no one is left behind.

20/01/2026

Today, the Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, held a consultative meeting with the Centre for Health Solutions - Kenya (CHS) to review progress under the TB REACH Vumbua Project, jointly implemented with the National TB Program, Ministry of Health, in Thika and Limuru sub-counties, Kiambu County.

The discussions focused on early results from the integrated service delivery model, which combines TB care, chronic lung disease management, mental health, and nutrition services at both community and primary healthcare levels. The model, implemented under TB REACH Wave 11, has reached over 77,000 people, diagnosing and linking more than 480 TB cases, 323 asthma cases and 56 COPD cases, among others, to care.

The PS commended the project’s contribution to improving access to quality, people-centred services and emphasized the need for sustainability, scale-up to other counties, and stronger integration within Primary Health Care and Universal Health Coverage frameworks. The meeting also identified opportunities for collaboration to showcase the Vumbua model as a flagship for integrated lung health and TB care.

Dr Immaculate Kathure, Head, TB Program, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to leveraging innovation and partnerships like TB REACH to advance Kenya’s goal of equitable, integrated, and sustainable health services for all.

20/01/2026

📢 Call for Abstracts – Kenya Health Security Convention 2026
Scientists, policymakers, public health practitioners, academia, civil society, and development partners are invited to submit abstracts.

📢 Call for Abstracts – Kenya Health Security Convention 2026

Scientists, policymakers, public health practitioners, academia, civil society, and development partners are invited to submit abstracts.

11/12/2025

Kenya Takes Bold Step in TB Prevention With New Shorter Treatment Regimens

The Ministry of Health, through the Division of Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Other Lung Diseases (DTLD), has launched a series of sensitization trainings to prepare healthcare workers for the rollout of two new tuberculosis preventive treatment (TPT) regimens recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The sessions are part of Kenya’s renewed drive to stop TB transmission by expanding access to shorter, safer and more effective preventive therapies. The new regimens: a six-month daily levofloxacin treatment for contacts of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and a three-month weekly isoniazid and rifapentine combination (3HP) for children aged 0–14 years, will be introduced in January and April 2026, respectively.

According to Dr Grace Kaluai, TPT technical lead at the Program, the shift represents a major milestone in TB prevention:

“These new preventive regimens make TB care simpler, faster, and more patient-friendly. By reducing pill burden and treatment duration, we’re making it easier for families to protect their loved ones and for health workers to deliver quality care.”

Tuberculosis infection (TBI), often referred to as latent TB, occurs when a person carries the TB bacteria without showing symptoms or spreading it to others. Yet, without treatment, latent TB can progress into active disease, a process that preventive therapy reduces by up to 90%.

Kenya’s latest TB prevention data underscores the urgency for change. In 2024, only 37% of eligible household contacts under 15 years received preventive therapy, and overall TPT coverage among contacts was around 40%. Among people living with HIV newly enrolled on treatment, 69% received TPT, with children lagging at 50% coverage.

Globally, 5.3 million people were initiated on TPT in 2024, a rise from previous years, but Kenya still faces gaps in reaching all at-risk groups. The new regimens aim to close that gap by improving convenience, tolerability and supply chain stability.

The ongoing trainings in Nakuru and Machakos bring together national and county TB coordinators, pharmacists, regional HIV leads and health officers under the support of the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI).

03/12/2025

This week we have an exciting and informative webinar titled 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
Join us this Thursday from 6:00pm.
Register now on this link: https://forms.gle/A6iVa7neS6ibGbgt5

15/10/2025

Kenya has made major strides against TB — a 41% drop in incidence and 65% decline in deaths since 2015. CS launched 80 AI-powered digital X-ray systems & Integrated Lung Health Guidelines, calling for wider TB & lung disease diagnostic access.

The Ministry of Health has recorded progress in the fight against tuberculosis, registering a 41% reduction in TB incidence rate and a 65% drop in TB mortali...

13/10/2025

13/10/2025

Kenya Makes History with Launch of 80 AI-Enabled Digital X-ray Machines and Integrated Lung Health Guidelines

Kenya has made history in its fight against tuberculosis (TB) and lung diseases with the launch of 80 AI-powered digital chest X-ray machines and the unveiling of the Integrated Lung Health Guidelines at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) grounds in Nairobi.

The event, officiated by Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale, brought together the Council of Governors, World Health Organization Kenya, The Global Fund, Amref Health Africa in Kenya, Centre for Health Solutions - Kenya (CHS), Gates Foundation GSK, and Centre for Health Solutions - Kenya (CHS), among other partners, marking a major step toward achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and a TB-free Kenya.

The AI-enabled X-ray machines will be deployed across all 47 counties, ensuring that communities, including those in remote and underserved areas, can access advanced lung disease screening. The technology enables early detection of TB, asthma, COPD, and other respiratory illnesses.

“Innovation without access is injustice. Technology must touch the grassroots or it’s just decoration,” said CS Duale.

“Every lung matters, every life counts, and no one will be left behind in our pursuit of a healthier Kenya.”

The Integrated Lung Health Guidelines consolidate TB, asthma, COPD, silicosis, and post-TB complications into one comprehensive framework, moving Kenya toward a holistic, patient-centered approach to lung health care.

The WHO representative, Dr Onyenze Adiele, hailed Kenya’s leadership, noting that the initiative aligns with the WHO End TB Strategy and reflects “a decisive investment in precision public health.”

Dr. George Githuka of Amref Health Africa commended the Ministry for its strong coordination, saying, “This milestone proves that when government and partners work together, innovation becomes inclusion.”

CHS-Kenya CEO Dr Paul Wekesa described the AI machines as “hope on wheels”, recalling that CHS first piloted the innovation in 2021, screening over 50,000 Kenyans and diagnosing 2,000 TB and lung disease cases.

As the 80 machines were flagged off to counties, CS Duale reaffirmed the government's commitment to equitable, technology-driven healthcare.

“May these machines serve, may they save lives, and may they bring smiles to our people,” he said. “This is Kenya moving from policy to action, from innovation to impact.”

13/10/2025

Today, Kenya takes a bold step towards ending TB by flagging off 80 AI-powered digital chest X-ray machines, ensuring all 47 counties have access to advanced screening tools. This milestone marks a new era where no one is left behind in the fight against TB.

Together, let’s harness technology for every county and make TB history! 💪🏾