As cases of Covid-19 continue to rise, experts have expressed concern about the damage the pandemic may inflict on TB—an already existing infectious killer. 

Based on how developed countries like China and Italy with more advanced health systems have struggled to cope with the spread of Covid-19, the fear is that lower income countries with much less resources may be overburdened by the pandemic. 

As the globe marks the World TB Day, there is an indication that efforts to treat the world’s top infectious disease will take a hit from the Covid-19 response. 

 “This outbreak, if not managed early, will overwhelm our health systems, both in terms of medical resources such as hospital capacity, diagnostic, screening and protective equipment as well as trained healthcare workers,” said Bernard Lang’at, Programme Director HIV, TB, Malaria Programme in Kenya (Amref Health Africa). 

Treatment of infectious diseases such as TB and HIV will be affected as resources are likely to be diverted to responding to Covid-19 to contain its spread.

Kenya suffers from a high burden of TB and HIV with TB which accounts for 9081 deaths per year being the fourth highest cause of mortality according to the Economic Survey 2018. 

Globally Kenya is ranked by WHO as among 30 countries with the highest burden of TB.

It also ranked among the 14 countries with the highest burden of TB and HIV and Multidrug resistant TB.

The high pre-existing disease burden coupled with limited resources will severely strain the already overburdened health system.