Health Principal Secretary Julius Korir alongside other delegates during Stepped-UP TB/HIV response Ministerial Panel session in Moscow, November 17, 2017. [Photo|MoH]
Despite the disease burden, Kenya has been recognised as a leader in implementing the WHO recommended TB/HIV collaborative activities.Speaking at Stepped-UP TB/HIV response Ministerial Panel session in Moscow, Russia on Friday, Health Principal Secretary Julius Korir revealed that in 2016, 95 percent of TB patients had a documented HIV test result, with 92 percent of those found to be HIV-infected put on ART and almost all on Clotrimazole Preventive Therapy. "All people living with HIV receiving care and treatment are routinely screened for TB during their clinical visits," said the PS.Kenya is one of the 30 Countries that account for 89 percent of all new HIV infections worldwide, with an estimated 1.5 million Kenyans living with HIV, 1.4 million adults, and 98,000 children. In 2016, 1.1 million Kenyans living with HIV were receiving care.Kenya also features on three lists of 30 High Burden Countries for TB, HIV-associated TB, and Multi-Drug Resistant TB.The PS revealed that Kenya commenced a national scale-up of Isoniazid Preventive Therapy (IPT) in 2015. "To date, close to 600,000 People Living with HIV (50%) have been initiated on IPT, provided as standard care to all those who are newly enrolled in care."In addition, the country is implementing TB infection prevention and control in health care and congregate settings to minimize airborne transmission of TB, particularly across health-care facilities visited by people living with HIV.