TB GETS THE MUCH-NEEDED ATTENTION AT LABOR DAY EVENT

Kenya joined the rest of the world in celebrating the International Labour Day on May 1^st but this was not your ordinary labour day. Unlike other celebrations, matters Tuberculosis (TB) featured prominently in this year’s event marked at the historic Uhuru Park.

Stop TB Partnership Kenya and other partners supported the Ministry of Health in creating TB awareness and conducting TB screening during the Labour Day celebrations.

The event that was attended by many dignitaries including President Uhuru Kenyatta attracted a huge crowd and TB partners took advantage of this opportunity to educate people about TB and getting them screened.

This event was necessitated by the need to increase active case finding especially among high risk groups. It was also done as one of the interventions of addressing high TB burden in cities.

According to the Kenya TB prevalence survey 2016 findings, TB prevalence is higher in urban areas (760 per 100,000) compared to rural areas where it is at 453 per 100,000.

Digital chest x-rays were used for TB screening on labour day. This is because chest x- ray emerged as a more effective and reliable screening test for TB during the Kenya TB prevalence survey 2016.

A section of the labour day procession that marched from Gikomba in Eastlands Nairobi, to Uhuru Park, were adorned in branded t-shirts with TB messages on them and they also displayed banners with messages on TB. The procession marched past the dignitaries at Uhuru Park. Curious onlookers were also given TB information and education materials.

Having TB issues featuring at a Labour day event for the first time in history, was a way of taking TB to the ‘non-conventional’ TB circles. Such sustained efforts should be encouraged since it is the surest way of responding to the clarion call of making TB everyone’s business.