Govt defends imprisonment of TB patients

The Ministry of Health has defended imprisonment of some patients with Tuberculosis (TB), saying Kenya lacks secure isolation wards.

Health Principal Secretary Nicholas Muraguri said when patients with complicated TB cases are isolated in wards, they easily break free and run back home, hence the move to jail them.

The imprisonment of TB patients, Daniel Ng’etich and Patrick Kipng’etich who refused to take medication sparked debate, with critics terming it as violation of human rights.

Dr. Muraguri said when not taking TB drugs as required, then safeguarding other patients under the Public Health Act, supersedes an individual’s right to comfort.

Judge Mumbi Ngugi last week ruled that a crowded prison was the worst place to try and isolate people with an infectious disease, directing the Health Ministry to issue policy guidelines within 90 days.

Last week, the High Court declined to award damages to two TB patients who were imprisoned for refusing to take their medication.

On August 13^th, 2010, the two men were arrested and charged in court for allegedly defaulting on their TB medication.

They were to serve eight month imprisonment terms in which they would have to take their medication.

The Ministry of Health said the two men were not only a risk to themselves but they could easily infect others with the disease.

A human rights lobby, however, moved to court challenging the verdict to imprison the two men on the basis that it was a violation of their right to dignity, freedom of movement and protection from torture.

The World Health Organization has previously called for collective global action and more money to support TB control strategies to end this scourge by 2030.

The World Health Organization said ending tuberculosis by 2030, the target set by the UN Sustainable Development Goals will be a challenge, but it can be done. It notes 43 million peoples’ lives have been saved since 2000.

According to WHO, countries can save the lives of the 1.5 million people who continue to die from tuberculosis every year by strengthening TB programs and adopting newer tools.