The government recommends and will facilitate inter-county collaboration to eradicate trachoma and other neglected tropical diseases.
This is according to director of medical services, Dr Nicholas Muraguri, who noted that this calls for a lot of efforts in strengthening collaborations with all relevant partners and sectors.
In a statement read on his behalf by Dr Izaack Odongo, the head of curative and rehabilitative services at the Ministry of Health (MOH), trachoma is a development agenda and strategies to eliminate the disease are associated with development.
"Elimination of trachoma will release the afflicted communities from entrapment in the poverty cycle," read the statement in part.
Muraguri said it would not be possible for Kenya to achieve elimination of the disease in isolation, when the neighbouring countries remain endemic.
Cross-border interactions and movements among pastoral communities along our national borders are significant in terms of disease transmission and control especially now that we are talking of disease elimination.
He said it is alarming to note that about 75 per cent of the burden of trachoma in Sub-Saharan Africa is in the Eastern Africa Region.
"Trachoma is an infectious disease which even after comprehensive intervention using SAFE strategy, can be reintroduced by members of a neighbouring community who may not have had treatment. It is, therefore, important that we look at the disease with a wider view of understanding its epidemiology," he added.
Muraguri expressed his confidence that the meeting, attended by more than 57 delegates from seven member states within Eastern Africa, would provide an opportune moment for the participants to establish regional collaboration networks that will effectively monitor progress on trachoma and other NTDs.The government recommends and will facilitate inter-county collaboration to eradicate trachoma and other neglected tropical diseases.
This is according to director of medical services, Dr Nicholas Muraguri, who noted that this calls for a lot of efforts in strengthening collaborations with all relevant partners and sectors.
In a statement read on his behalf by Dr Izaack Odongo, the head of curative and rehabilitative services at the Ministry of Health (MOH), trachoma is a development agenda and strategies to eliminate the disease are associated with development.
"Elimination of trachoma will release the afflicted communities from entrapment in the poverty cycle," read the statement in part.
Muraguri said it would not be possible for Kenya to achieve elimination of the disease in isolation, when the neighbouring countries remain endemic.
Cross-border interactions and movements among pastoral communities along our national borders are significant in terms of disease transmission and control especially now that we are talking of disease elimination.
He said it is alarming to note that about 75 per cent of the burden of trachoma in Sub-Saharan Africa is in the Eastern Africa Region.
"Trachoma is an infectious disease which even after comprehensive intervention using SAFE strategy, can be reintroduced by members of a neighbouring community who may not have had treatment. It is, therefore, important that we look at the disease with a wider view of understanding its epidemiology," he added.
Muraguri expressed his confidence that the meeting, attended by more than 57 delegates from seven member states within Eastern Africa, would provide an opportune moment for the participants to establish regional collaboration networks that will effectively monitor progress on trachoma and other NTDs.