This was stated on 21 July 2017 during a meeting to validate the findings of the Legal Environment Assessment of TB in Kenya organized by KELIN with financial and technical support from Stop TB Secretariat.
KELIN piloted a legal environment assessment of TB in Kenya in March 2017. The assessment of legal and policy framework aimed to identify and examine all important legal and human rights issues affecting the TB response in Kenya. KELIN utilized its existing networks to reach out to partners in communities of people with TB, government stakeholders, civil society organizations, and legal experts in the assessment.
The meeting brought together over 30 participants representing TB survivors, civil society organizations working on TB, County TB coordinators, health care workers, prison officials, community health volunteers, public health officials, researchers among others, from the counties of Nairobi, Kisumu, Busia, Homa Bay, and Kakamega, to discuss and validate the findings of the Legal Environment Assessment.
Stakeholders noted that the guidelines and policies used to implement TB programmes and interventions need to recognize, respect and promote human rights. This is because human rights violations of TB patients and affected communities are still a problem especially at the community level.
In enriching the report, participants, among other issues, emphasized on the need to:
- Develop and improve health education on TB holistically and sensitize populations about the issues around TB prevention, care and treatment
- Relook at the health insurance policy to ensure inclusion of TB
- Reinventing the TB Manyatta because it’s a right based approach
- Relook at the social protection policy to ensure inclusion of TB patients
- Coming up with concrete Isolation guidelines
On their part, prison officers reported that prison facilities have adopted regular TB screenings but called for a review of prior infrastructure guidelines to address ventilation as well as ensure security of inmates.
As a result of this meeting, KELIN will share and compare findings with other pilot projects being implemented in Nigeria. This will provide direction for matters of policy and implementation of TB interventions.
To contribute to the discussion and for live updates follow KELIN on our social media platforms using the hashtag #TBRights
Twitter: @KELINkenya
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kelinkenya
For more information contact:
Lucy Ghati
Programme Manager, HIV & TB
Mombasa Road, Somak building 4th Floor
P O Box 112 – 00200 KNH Nrb,
Tel: 020, 2515790 │Mobile: 0790 487473, 0722 747382
E-mail: lghati@kelinkenya.org
Website: www.kelinkenya.org
