A two day National Advocacy Forum was held on 21st and 22nd October 2025 at the Royal Tulip Hotel, Nairobi, bringing together County Assembly representatives, civil society organizations (CSOs), and multi-sectoral partners to advance rights-based approaches for Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (DR-TB).
Hosted by KELIN, in collaboration with the National TB Program, the forum held under the theme “Accelerating Implementation of Interventions to Address DR-TB in Kenya” focused on strengthening collaboration between health and non-health sectors, addressing gaps, and developing a coordinated roadmap for DR-TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
The meeting formed part of the ongoing national dialogue on DR-TB under the COMBAT DR-TB Unitaid-supported project, which seeks to strengthen advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and rights-based approaches to TB response in Kenya.
Participants discussed the importance of county level domestication of DR-TB frameworks, enhanced resource allocation for DR-TB programs, and the inclusion of community-led monitoring mechanisms to ensure accountability in service delivery. Emphasis was placed on strengthening social protection systems for persons affected by TB, improving integration of TB and non-health sectors, and scaling up awareness campaigns to combat stigma and discrimination associated with the disease.
The discussions also highlighted the continued public health threat posed by DR-TB and underscored the need for joint action across health, justice, education, labor, correctional sectors, among others to ensure timely detection, equitable access to care, and protection of patients’ rights.
Key outcomes from the meeting included sectoral commitments to enhance alignment, deepen community engagement, and promote equitable access to all-oral DR-TB treatment regimens at both national and county levels. The forum concluded with a shared call to strengthen multi-sectoral collaboration, ensure coherence across sectors, and accelerate Kenya’s progress toward a rights-based, people-centered approach to ending tuberculosis
For more information, please contact:
Ibrahim Kimani
Project officer – HIV/TB wainainakimani@kelinkenya.org
Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS (KELIN)
Kuwinda Lane, Karen C, off Langáta Road
