Every sector has a role in TB control: the experience of THE HORTICULTURE farms in Thika, Kiambu County
Ending TB globally by 2030 is one of the health targets in the Sustainable Development goals. The target was developed by WHO in consultation with other stakeholders. For these targets to be attained, countries with High TB Burden must be innovative in their approach to TB. This will mean new high impact interventions that have not been tried before in TB control.
Kenya subscribes to the new targets and is working towards achieving them. Through the Stop TB Partnership-Kenya, Kenya is being innovative to ensure the country is on track to achieving the targets.
The private sector is one of the sector that has been largely neglected in being engaged in TB contol. Besides having resources that can be invested in TB, the companies have large workforces that are often not reached with TB services. Stop TB Partnership in their strategic plan hopes to involve all stakeholders including the private sector in TB within their core competences.
Stop TB planned to start by engaging eight horticultural farms in Thika Sub county with a bid to explore together areas the farms could contribute to TB control. The farms included; Real IPM, Penta flowers, Branan flowers, Cashew nuts, Enkasiti, Simbi flowers, Zena and Delmonte farms. The engagement included a sensitization forum followed by physical meeting with the management of the farms
Risk among the workers
Tuberculosis is an airborne disease, and every employee is prone to infection. If a worker is infected, their productivity is lowered considerable. This subsequently impacts on the company’s output and income.
The bargaining point was the time and skills lost by staff who get infected by TB. It was apparent that most of the farms had limited consideration of TB as risk among their workers.
Outcomes of the engagement
All the flower farms agreed that they would allow their workers to be screened for TB. One requested to have their staff trained in TB so that they could treat TB from the farms clinics. Initially they referred them to county hospitals and there were no follow up mechanisms.
Another farm for example requested that their peer educators be trained in TB. This was later to be conducted by REchad (an NGO with an interest in research and advocacy for health) in conjunction with Stop TB partnership-Kenya.
Still another farm committed to be educating their workers on TB by including a TB message on the pay slips each month.
From this experience, it was clear that there exists a huge gap in engagement of the private sector in health and specifically TB. All the farms reported commitment to health but needed guidance on how they can contribute.
Stop TB wishes to appreciate David Waweru, the Subcounty TB coordinator in Thika and the public health officer, Ruth for their commitment in visiting the farms and their undying passion toward TB control. Special acknowledgement goes to the management of the farms including Penta flowers, Cashew nuts, Real IPM and Branan for their reception and dedication to the welfare of their workers.
