TAITA TAVETA, Kenya – Provision of medical services in Taita Taveta County is expected to improve following the disbursement of a Sh40 million grant from the Global Fund to Hope Network, a community-based organisation, marking a significant boost in the fight against tuberculosis (TB).
The funds allocated to the Taita Taveta-based organisation are intended to expand community-level TB prevention and treatment initiatives. They are being disbursed through Amref Health Africa as part of the Global Fund’s GC7 cycle.
Speaking during the official rollout meeting at Moi County Referral Hospital in Voi, Hope Networks’ Finance and Administration Manager Joseph Msheve said the funding will support a range of community-driven initiatives and is expected to significantly increase the number of community members accessing critical TB services, including early detection, treatment, and education.
“This Global Fund GC7 Sh40 million grant awarded to Hope Network through Amref Health Africa will help us undertake key community TB activities such as contact investigation, tracing TB treatment interrupters, targeted TB screening outreaches, training of Community Health Promoters (CHPs), and awareness creation in schools, among others,” said Msheve.
Health Services County Chief Officer Violet Mkamburi welcomed the support, describing it as a significant milestone in the county’s fight against TB.
“This is a major boost in our fight against TB in the county. We will come up with a joint work plan to ensure the objective of this grant is attained,” she said, adding that the county government is committed to partnering closely with Hope Network.
Why WHO is concerned about the war against TB
In March 2024, the UN World Health Organisation (WHO) called for a funding boost in TB screening and prevention programs to protect vulnerable populations and achieve key health goals.
This, even as it emerged that relatively modest new investment could result in significant health and economic benefits, with up to $39 worth of benefits for each dollar invested, the UN agency said, announcing the findings of a study conducted in Brazil, Georgia, Kenya, and South Africa.
The returns extend beyond monetary, encompassing substantial improvements in public health outcomes and the mitigation of TB’s devastating impact on individuals, families, and communities.
“The investment case outlines the health and economic rationale for investing in evidence-based, WHO-recommended interventions on TB screening and prevention that can contribute to advancing universal health coverage,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
“Today, we have the knowledge, tools, and political commitment that can end this millennia-old disease that remains one of the world’s top infectious killers.”
Despite tremendous progress in the fight against the disease, with an estimated 75 million lives saved since 2000, tuberculosis still kills over 1.3 million people a year and impacts millions more globally.
What are the global measures being made to combat TB
Furthermore, only roughly two out of five patients have received treatment for multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) in 2022, making it a rising public health risk.
The WHO stated that it is evident that much more work needs to be done to combat tuberculosis and that advancements in the development of novel TB diagnostics, medications, and vaccines are still limited by the total amount of funding in these areas.
In light of this, its investment case is anticipated to be an essential advocacy tool for obtaining more funding for TB screening and preventive care, in line with the pledges made by officials at the 2023 High-Level Meeting on TB.
Meanwhile, Taita Taveta Health Services Director Elvis Mwandawiro emphasised that the ultimate goal is to deliver high-quality TB services to all residents of Taita Taveta.
“We aim to ensure no one is left behind when it comes to accessing timely and effective TB care,” he said.
The rollout meeting brought together representatives from Amref Health Africa, Hope Network, and the Department of Health Services.
