August 2016 marked the official closure of the data collection process for the National TB Prevalence Survey 2015-2016. This is the first survey of its kind in post-independent Kenya and aims to inform Kenya of its actual TB burden so as to make better plans to combat the disease.
CHS through the USAID-funded Tuberculosis Accelerated Response and Care (TB ARC) activity supported the National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Lung Disease Program (NTLD-Program), to organise a three-day closeout workshop held between August 10 – 12, in Diani, Kwale County.
After the official launch of the nationwide TB Prevalence Survey in July 2015, five teams were sent to sites across the country for the purposes of data collection. This year-long process was carried out in clusters across 44 counties under the technical guidance of the multi-disciplinary National TB Prevalence Survey Taskforce. It is expected that the survey will give an accurate picture of the country’s TB burden including the identification of persons with TB previously not captured by statistics from the NTLD-Program, as well as insights on the challenges of access to TB testing and treatment.
The closeout workshop was graced by among others the Director of Medical Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr Jackson Kioko, the survey Principal Investigator Dr Joseph Sitienei and Head of the NTLD-Program Dr Enos Masini.
During the workshop, the national taskforce and field teams discussed the successes and lessons learnt through the data collection process. Data collection team members who excelled in their duties were feted with trophies and certificates.
Speaking during the award ceremony, Dr Kioko acknowledged the hard work done by the team thus making the survey data collection process a major success.
