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NAIROBI: Kenya is the first country in the world to launch child friendly medicines for the treatment of tuberculosis among children.
The Ministry of Health on Tuesday launched the new line of treatment which is child-friendly as means of encouraging more children to take their medication with ease.
This means that beginning October 1, all children in Kenya initiated on TB treatment will be put on the improved formulation treatment free of charge.
The improved medicines are easier for caregivers to give and for children to take, and are expected to help improve treatment and child survival from TB.
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Dr Cleopa Mailu said, "Kenya is playing a role in the fight against childhood TB by being the first to introduce improved TB medicines for children."
He further noted that with appropriate treatment, Kenya can make accelerated progress in finding and treating children with TB.
Speaking during the launch, Dr Jackson Kioko who is the director of medical services pointed out that TB is re-emerging in many parts of the country and poses a significant threat to global health and well-being.
"In 2015, Kenya reported 81,518 cases of TB, among these with about four out of 25 being children; the disease significantly contributes to the high morbidity and mortality among children," said Kioko.
The treatments being introduced are the first to meet WHO guidelines for childhood TB treatment. While they are not new drugs, they are improved formulations coming in direct doses, require fewer pills, are flavoured and dissolve in water.
Until this new formulation, the treatment regime for children comprised of numerous pills of many formulations which proved complex to use for both the healthcare workers and caregivers.
"The tablets were big and difficult for the children to swallow hence had to be crushed and sometimes mixed with food. This resulted in inaccurate dosing and poor adherence" said Kioko.
Currently, TB is the fourth leading killer in Kenya and its high prevalence is attributed to HIV, poor ventilation, overcrowding, and poor nutrition.
Kioko said, "Children exposed to infectious persons are more likely to develop TB. Younger children are more likely to develop sever forms of the disease."
The World Health Organisation (WHO) notes that at least one million children suffer from TB each year while 140,000 die. In 2015, Kenya reported nearly 7,000 cases of TB in infants and children, with those under the age of five being at a greater risk of having severe forms leading even to death.
In 2016, WHO prequalified the use of this improved formulation. The development of the medicines was overseen by TB Alliance, a non-profit organisation funded by UNITAID alongside other partners.
"These new treatments will not have an impact until they reach the children that need them," said Dr Cherise Scott, director of paediatric programmes for TB Alliance.
UNITAID director of operations, David Matiru said that this is the first time Kenya is having medicine that will mount a sustainable response against TB.
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