KIC-TB 

The Kenya Innovation Challenge Tuberculosis (KIC-TB) project was implemented by Resources Oriented Development Initiatives in Nairobi and Kiambu Counties with financial support from the Global Fund through Amref Health Africa in Kenya, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the National Police Service.

The innovation, “Expanding TB Screening in Congregate Settings to Include: Company workers; Detainees in Police Cells; Reportees; Police Officers and Their Families,” was implemented in two phases.

The first phase, from July 2019 to June 2021, targeted company workers, detainees in police cells, reportees, police officers, and their families in Kiambu County.

The second phase, from July 2021 to June 2024, expanded and targeted detainees in police cells, reportees, police officers, and their families in both Kiambu and Nairobi Counties.

The goal of the project was to find missing people with tuberculosis (TB) in companies and police stations and link them to treatment and care services through innovative strategies. These strategies complemented the country’s efforts to engage key stakeholders to find missing people with TB and inspire innovation and evidence-based programming to maximize impact in strategic priority areas.

KIC-TB project Objectives:

  1. To identify and screen the target populations for TB in the community.
  2. To refer those with TB symptoms from the communities for diagnosis in health facilities.
  3. To strengthen social accountability and linkages between communities and health facilities.
  4. To ensure correct documentation and prompt notification of those diagnosed with TB.

Key strategies included:

  1. Awareness creation and TB screening among the target population by trained police officers and TB screening volunteers in targeted police stations and companies.
  2. Sputum sample collection among the target population presumptive for TB and transportation to GeneXpert and microscopy sites for diagnosis.
  3. Chest X-rays for those who test negative but are still presumptive for TB.
  4. Treatment initiation for those diagnosed with TB through linkages with TB treatment sites.
  5. Documentation of all processes along the cascade of care, including those screened, presumptive, sample collection on-site, referrals, sputum samples tested, diagnosed with TB (KIC TB prefix), and those started on treatment.
  6. Capacity enhancement for TB screening volunteers to improve quality screening and on-spot sputum collection.
  7. Linkages with health facilities to ensure successful referrals, including escorted referrals and the use of referral documentation tools.
  8. Engaging motorcycle riders to support the transportation of sputum samples.
  9. Follow-up of referrals with target individuals and health facilities.
  10. X-ray support for those who test negative but exhibit TB signs.

Results:

From July 2019 to June 2024 a total of  281,884 people  were screened for TB with 22,909 being presumptive TB cases, 17,797 were investigated for TB with 1,194 diagnosed to have TB. 1,087 were initiated on TB treatment.