Thursday, July 7, 2022, Centre for Health Solutions – Kenya (CHS), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, National TB Program, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and other partners, launched the Introducing New Tools Project (iNTP) at Mathare North Health Centre, Nairobi.
iNTP involves rolling out the latest innovations in diagnostics, treatments, and digital health technologies to strengthen TB care in Kenya. The Project aims to support Kenya in reaching 2022 targets for the detection and treatment of TB, drug-resistant TB, and TB infection set by the 2018 UN High-Level Meeting on TB.
Speaking during the launch, the Ministry of Health, Chief Administrative Secretary, Rashid Aman said that the adoption and roll-out of various products and technologies under iNTP will help achieve the milestones toward the commitment made in the United Nations General assembly in 2018 and Kenya’s vision of Ending TB by 2030.
“Together with our development partners, the Ministry has embarked on a journey to scale up our programmatic efforts by introducing innovative approaches that will help the country to realise the mission of ending TB by 2030,” CAS Aman said.
“iNTP will help Kenya achieve the goal of eradicating TB by 2030 with the delivery of advanced TB screening, diagnostic equipment, preventive and treatment therapies, as well as patient-centered monitoring aids to health centres in 33 counties over the next ten months, ” said the USAID Kenya Director Health, Population, and Nutrition, Heidi O’bra
CHS Chief Executive Officer Dr Paul Wekesa reiterated CHS’s commitment to reducing the burden of TB in the country and the successful implementation of iNTP. “We commit to continue supporting the Ministry of Health and the National TB Program and the county governments in rolling out the new tools and in ensuring their efficient utilisation across the supported counties.”
Through iNTP, Kenya has adopted the following tools for TB screening, diagnosis, and prevention;
- Treatment courses for TB preventative therapy: 3RH regimen to benefit 13,000 persons
- Eight Lightweight portable digital chest X-ray equipment kits with accompanying software for the computer-aided detection of TB
- Two interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) machines to aid in the detection of TB infection
- Medication sleeves for 5,000 patients with TB as part of digital adherence technology and,
- Connectivity solution for all TB diagnostic equipment known as TIBULIMS.
The next course of action will be continuing training of health care workers on the new technology, screening of patients, and prevention to improve and sustain the quality of care and optimise the gains towards TB prevention.
Kenya is one of 11 countries chosen globally for iNTP because it is a high-burden TB country and has the political will and support to reach the WHO’s goal of eradicating TB by 2030.
With funding from USAID CHS is the lead implementer of the project in Kenya. CHS will implement iNTP through three projects namely; Ezesha_99DOTs project, Tibulims project , and Diagnostics project.
