Turkana County has screened nearly 1,000 people for tuberculosis (TB) through a series of outreach activities held in the lead-up to World Tuberculosis Day, underscoring renewed efforts to combat the disease in one of Kenya’s high-burden regions.
The most recent outreaches, conducted over three days and culminating in a county-led event in Naduat, Turkana North, saw at least 480 people screened.
The initiative, supported by World Relief, brought together health officials, partners, and community members in a coordinated push to improve early detection and treatment.
Earlier, a separate mass screening exercise in Napetet, Turkana Central, conducted in partnership with the Centre for Health Solutions, screened 513 people.
Of these, 24 tested positive and have since been enrolled in treatment programmes.
Additional samples collected from Lomeguro and Naduat are currently under review, with results expected within 24 hours.
Speaking during the event, Chief Officer for Preventive and Promotive Health Agnes Mana warned that tuberculosis remains a major public health concern in the county.
“Turkana County continues to rank among the high TB-burden regions in the country, with 3,415 cases recorded in 2024 and 3,141 cases in 2025,” she said.
Mana raised concern over the high number of paediatric infections, noting that children account for more than 25 percent of reported cases, an indication of ongoing transmission within households and communities.
She highlighted progress made by the county government, including strengthening the healthcare workforce and expanding diagnostic capacity through digital X-ray and GeneXpert technologies, which have improved detection and response.
However, significant challenges remain. County TB, Leprosy and Lung Diseases Coordinator Abdirahman Musa pointed to gaps in diagnostic access and community-level screening, as well as weak case-finding systems.
He noted that high loss-to-follow-up rates, cross-border movement, malnutrition, delayed diagnosis, and limited contact tracing continue to fuel the spread of the disease.
Increased mobility and mining activities in the region were also cited as contributing factors.
Meanwhile, Joel Lochor revealed that Turkana North accounts for nearly half of the county’s TB burden.
“In 2025, Turkana North recorded 178 positive cases, with 108 cases coming from Nakalale Ward, particularly in Naduat and Makutano areas,” he said.
Lochor emphasized the need to take awareness campaigns closer to communities to improve prevention, promote early testing, and ensure adherence to treatment.
This year’s World Tuberculosis Day theme, “Yes! We Can End TB: Led by Countries, Powered by People”, has reinforced calls for collective action, as Turkana County intensifies its efforts to curb the disease and protect vulnerable populations.