IRIN examines high risk of TB infection among health workers in Kenya

IRIN examines tuberculosis among health care workers in Kenya, where "[s]afety equipment - including protective masks and proper waste disposal facilities - are rarely available in rural centres, something health workers say must be addressed urgently." Victor Were, a clinical official in western Kenya's Mumias town, "said the government urgently needed to address the issues of training health workers on risk reduction, provision of masks and ensure proper ventilation or even outdoor clinics to reduce the risk of infection," according to IRIN.

Government officials say the primary reasons for a lack of supplies are supply chain problems and funding shortages, while local NGOs blame the shortages on corruption within the health system, the news service writes (5/17).