Kenya Takes Bold Step in TB Prevention With New Shorter Treatment Regimens
The Ministry of Health, through the Division of Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Other Lung Diseases (DTLD), has launched a series of sensitization trainings to prepare healthcare workers for the rollout of two new tuberculosis preventive treatment (TPT) regimens recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The sessions are part of Kenya’s renewed drive to stop TB transmission by expanding access to shorter, safer and more effective preventive therapies. The new regimens: a six-month daily levofloxacin treatment for contacts of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and a three-month weekly isoniazid and rifapentine combination (3HP) for children aged 0–14 years, will be introduced in January and April 2026, respectively.
According to Dr Grace Kaluai, TPT technical lead at the Program, the shift represents a major milestone in TB prevention:
“These new preventive regimens make TB care simpler, faster, and more patient-friendly. By reducing pill burden and treatment duration, we’re making it easier for families to protect their loved ones and for health workers to deliver quality care.”
Tuberculosis infection (TBI), often referred to as latent TB, occurs when a person carries the TB bacteria without showing symptoms or spreading it to others. Yet, without treatment, latent TB can progress into active disease, a process that preventive therapy reduces by up to 90%.
Kenya’s latest TB prevention data underscores the urgency for change. In 2024, only 37% of eligible household contacts under 15 years received preventive therapy, and overall TPT coverage among contacts was around 40%. Among people living with HIV newly enrolled on treatment, 69% received TPT, with children lagging at 50% coverage.
Globally, 5.3 million people were initiated on TPT in 2024, a rise from previous years, but Kenya still faces gaps in reaching all at-risk groups. The new regimens aim to close that gap by improving convenience, tolerability and supply chain stability.
The ongoing trainings in Nakuru and Machakos bring together national and county TB coordinators, pharmacists, regional HIV leads and health officers under the support of the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI).
