Through the USAID-funded Tuberculosis Accelerated Response and Care (TB ARC) activity, CHS convened two CEOs breakfast events under the theme ‘Workplace Wellness as an Enabler of Enhanced Sustainable Businesses.’ These events targeted private sector senior management teams in Nairobi and Mombasa Counties respectively.
The objective of the meetings was to engage and dialogue with decision makers in the business sector on emerging workplace wellness programs for purposes of integrating TB into existing wellness policy frameworks.
Setting the pace at the start of the meeting, CHS Advocacy Officer Rose Wandia said, “If not detected early, TB at the workplace reduces productivity, many working hours are spent on treatment, there is potential profit loss and loss of about 15 years of household income as a consequence of pre-mature death caused by TB.
Investing in TB activities at the workplace will not only result in reduced absenteeism and labour loss, but will also contribute to a happy work force. Whatever little contribution the companies make to this effort will go a long way towards reducing the TB burden in the country,” she said.
Speaking during the forum, Nyali Sub County TB and Leprosy Coordinator, Ms Rosa Kavindu said, “One person infected with TB can infect up to 15 others. Therefore, contact tracing is necessary so that the infected people do not infect their family members and any children at risk of infection put on preventive therapy.”
Twenty-four companies were represented at the Mombasa forum, among them Global Tea and Commodities (K) Limited, Blue Jay Logistics and Transporters, Rea Vipingo Plantations, Gold Crown Foods, Scania E. A. Limited, among others, while 21 were represented at the Nairobi meeting. These included partners working together on this initiative namely: the Ministry of Health’s National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Lung Disease Program (NTLD-Program), Stop TB Partnership – Kenya, private sector consortium representatives – Swedish Workplace HIV AIDS Programme (SWHAP), Highway Community Health Resource Centre, NOPE International Institute and the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU).
Evidenced by the outcomes of TB screening activities previously undertaken by some of the companies present during the meeting, there were TB cases in the workforce, with limited workforce awareness about TB, with TB not included in current wellness interventions.
Mombasa County Director of Health, Dr Shem Patte, said “Active case finding of TB is going on in public health facilities in Mombasa County. Anyone with a respiratory tract infection is subjected to TB screening. We do not have to wait so long before treatment is started.” He echoed the fact that most people seek treatment from traditional healers or by self-medication using over the counter prescriptions. Mombasa County is among the 10 leading high TB burden counties in Kenya.
Way Forward
Daniel Mwaura, Regional Co-ordinator of the Swedish Workplace HIV and AIDS Programme (SWHAP) proposed that the County Health Management Team (CHMT) enhance collaboration with the private sector. This would help to expand existing wellness programs to integrate TB alongside stress management and gender violence which are already in place. The County Health Department of Mombasa expressed its commitment to work together with the private sector to improve the health of the community at large.
With funding from USAID through the TB ARC activity, CHS has been working with private sector partners and the NTLD-Program to find more people with TB in places of work. Through the corporate engagement model, 1,077 private sector employees have been screened for TB since September 2017, with 994 chest x-rays done and 12 TB cases confirmed.
