Over 50 Community Health Assistants (CHAs) and Community Health Promoters (CHPs) in Kabete, Kiambu County, have completed Community TB Care (CTBC) training at Wangige Level 4 Hospital.
The training, is part of Kenya's national strategy to improve TB detection and treatment at the community level. "This training has equipped us to identify TB symptoms, support patients during treatment, and prevent transmission," said Grace Mwaura, a CHP from Gikambura.
Kiambu is among the counties in Kenya with a high TB burden, alongside Nairobi and Mombasa. According to the National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Lung Disease Program (NTLD-P) Annual Report 2022, 27 out of 2,316 individuals screened during targeted outreach were diagnosed with TB-highlighting the need for community-based initiatives like Kabete's. "TB is present here in Kiambu," said Dr.
Samuel Karanja, a health practitioner in the county. "Training local health workers helps us detect and treat it early." One such case is Jane Wanjiru, a 38-year-old mother of three from Kabete.
