Cabinet Secretary for Health, Aden Duale, today led this year’s World TB Day National celebrations, using the moment to restate the country’s commitment to ending the disease as a public health threat.
The theme, “Yes! We Can End TB: Led by Government, Driven by Communities,” set the tone for the event. It pointed to a strategy that leans not only on policy, but also on the everyday work of communities across the country.
“Ending TB remains both a health priority and a national development imperative,” CS Duale said.
Despite years of progress, tuberculosis continues to weigh heavily on Kenya’s health system. In 2025, more than 90,000 people were diagnosed and placed on treatment, roughly four out of five of those believed to be living with the disease.
Speaking during the event that took place at the University of Nairobi, Main Campus, CS Duale noted that through the Government’s Taifa Care model, authorities aim to reach those still missing from the system. The programme is designed to expand access to care and ensure that treatment is both available and sustained.
“Since 2015, Kenya has recorded a 45 per cent drop in new TB cases and a 58 per cent decline in deaths linked to the disease,” he said.
Advances in diagnosis have also played a role. Expanded access to molecular testing and the use of portable X-ray machines, supported by artificial intelligence, have made it easier to detect cases earlier, particularly in remote and underserved areas.
Health experts at the event said that early detection remains critical, both to saving lives and to reducing transmission.
CS Duale acknowledged that social factors including poverty, housing conditions and access to information, continue to shape how the disease spreads and how patients seek care. Targeted efforts are now focusing on high-risk groups, especially men, who account for a large share of infections.
“I commend community health promoters, civil society, faith leaders and TB survivors,” he said, noting their role in identifying cases, supporting patients and challenging stigma.
The event drew a wide cross-section of leaders, including Principal Secretary for the State Department for Public Health and Professional StandardsMary Muthoni, Leonida Kerubo, James Nyikal and Neema Kimambo.
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