Fight against TB will not be won by healthcare workers alone

Isiolo TB Manyatta Hospital signboard, whose patients’ houses are now occupied by the National Youth Service. [File, Standard]

For decades, people believed the fight against Tuberculosis (TB) belonged to healthcare workers and the Ministry of Health alone. We were wrong. As we mark World TB Day 2026, the truth is clear. The real front line is not a hospital ward, but the seat of several matatus, a factory loading zone, a garage along Grogan and Baricho Road in Nairobi, a primary school classroom, a church and mosque in Kisumu, Kakamega, Turkana, Mombasa or Migori, and the desk of an HR manager in Nairobi. TB spreads where people live and work, and that means stopping it must begin there. If we are to finally turn the tide, every Kenyan must become a defender of our nation’s breath.

This year’s theme, ‘Yes! We Can End TB: Led by Government, Driven by Communities’ is not just a slogan. It is a national commitment grounded in science and experience. TB remains one of the leading infectious causes of illness and death, yet it is both preventable and curable. The tools to end it already exist. What is required now is to scale up proven interventions, act with speed and embrace collective responsibility.

Kenya has taken a significant step by adopting the people-centred National Strategic Plan for 2023/24 to 2027/28 that integrates TB, leprosy and lung health into one coordinated response. This plan sets clear epidemiological targets, including a sharp reduction in new infections, a major decline in TB deaths by 2030, and improved management of chronic lung disease. It also recognises that disease control is not only about treatment, but about protecting households from financial hardship and improving quality of life.

Encouraging progress has already been made by the National TB Programme in collaboration with other partners in expanding access to diagnosis and care. Modern technologies such as molecular testing, digital X-rays and improved lung function assessment are making it possible to detect TB earlier and more accurately, even closer to the community. Early diagnosis is critical because untreated TB fuels transmission.

In fact, a single untreated TB patient can infect 10 to 15 other people in a year, according to the World Health Organisation, especially in crowded and poorly ventilated settings. By shortening the time between infection, diagnosis and treatment, Kenya is reducing transmission and saving lives. This is what effective public health action looks like.

However, the response is at risk of stalling at a critical moment due to limited resources and competing health priorities. TB continues to receive less attention and funding compared to other major diseases, despite its significant burden. Global economic shifts have further tightened funding streams and this has placed additional strain on national programmes. The implication is straightforward.

Without adequate and sustained investment, the country risks missing critical targets, allowing preventable infections and deaths to continue. Financing must therefore align with the epidemiological reality. TB control is not a cost to be managed but an investment in productivity, stability and national well-being.

Even more important is the role of communities. TB is often misunderstood, yet it continues to spread silently. Globally, about a quarter of the population carries Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but most do not feel sick and are not contagious. This condition, known as latent TB infection, means the bacteria remain inactive but can become active later, especially when the immune system is weakened. This is why awareness is critical.

Ending TB will not be achieved through policy and technology alone. It depends on how people respond at the individual and household level. Recognising symptoms such as cough of any duration, fever, night sweats and unintended weight loss, and seeking care early, can stop transmission before it spreads further.

Reducing stigma is equally critical. When people feel safe to seek diagnosis and complete treatment, outcomes improve for everyone. Prevention also means improving ventilation in homes and workplaces, supporting infection control practices, and protecting vulnerable groups.

As Kenya works toward ending TB by 2030 in line with global commitments, the message must be clear and consistent: Gather all, scatter none. Government leadership, private sector engagement, civil society action and community awareness must all come together, guided by a strong deontic responsibility to protect lives and uphold the right to health. From policymakers to boda boda riders, from employers to teachers, everyone has a role to play. TB does not discriminate, and neither should the response.

Kenya has the strategy, the knowledge and the tools to end TB. What is needed now is urgency, investment and unity of purpose. The fight against TB will not be won in isolation. It will be won when the country acts together beyond clinic walls to protect the health and future of every Kenyan.

Mr Marcomic is a field epidemiologist, while Mr Okari is a Laboratory Programme Officer at the Division of National TB, Leprosy and Lung Health Programme