Early detection of lung conditions is critical to saving lives and the Nakuru County government is committed to strengthening Lung Health Services to ensure effective care.
In this regard, the County’s Department of Health Services is conducting a series of sensitisation workshops for health workers and coordinators on lung health.
County Lung Health Coordinator, Dr Barasa Neimah said this initiative aims to deepen service delivery, strengthen sustainability and reduce the burden of TB and respiratory services by expanding training to different cohorts.
Healthcare workers are getting hands‑on experience with tools like spirometry and systematic screening approaches, ensuring more accurate diagnosis, prompt treatment and better patient outcomes.
This second wave of sensitisation signals a deliberate shift from one‑off events to ongoing capacity building that communities can rely on, reflecting Nakuru’s commitment to resilient, people‑centred health systems.
Dr Neima noted that Nakuru was moving closer to a future where lung diseases are detected early, treated correctly and managed efficiently therefore saving lives and protecting families across the county.
This initiative is being undertaken with support from the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI).
She noted that early detection of lung conditions is critical to saving lives and Nakuru County will continue to strengthen Lung Health Services for Sustainable Care.
A new cohort of 50 healthcare workers began training on lung health screening and diagnosis this week.
This training comes on the heels of an earlier forum that brought together the first cohort of over 100 practitioners from multiple sub‑counties to exchange best practices, improve screening and integrate lung‑health care into routine services.
The training brings together a mix of cadres, drawn from both public and private health facilities, reinforcing a public–private partnership approach that is essential for sustainability and continuity of care across the county.
Participants are being equipped with practical skills in lung function screening, early identification of respiratory conditions and appropriate referral pathways.
Lung diseases in Nakuru County, including chronic conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchitis are on the increase, prompting local health authorities to expand screening beyond tuberculosis.
Among the key issues noted in the recent past were a high prevalence of pneumonia in children under five and rising cases of lung cancer.
The Nakuru County Department of Health is therefore keen on advancing the integrated lung health screening and diagnostic approach, an area that for a long time has received limited attention globally.
While tuberculosis (TB) care has attracted significant focus, other lung conditions are often misdiagnosed interchangeably and hence the need to have a systematic approach to Screening and diagnosis.
Chronic lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis and other interstitial lung diseases such as bronchiectasis, pulmonary hypertension, occupational lung diseases such as silicosis and post-tuberculosis lung disease are common worldwide and continue to affect many people.
Managing respiratory diseases from an early stage helps patients maintain their normal activities and reduces the impact of the disease on their daily lives, while early treatment and management can reduce the need for expensive hospitalizations and more intensive treatments later on,” Dr Neima reiterated.
The coordinator affirmed that by detecting diseases early, patients could avoid serious complications such as respiratory failure, heart problems and other related conditions.
Respiratory illnesses remain the most common reasons for hospital visits in Kenya, according to data released in the Economic Survey 2025.
The report, published by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), highlights that chest-related illnesses accounted for the largest share of outpatient visits in 2024, contributing to 30.2 percent of the total 66.2 million disease cases.
This marks a significant rise from 22.4 percent in 2023.
The Ministry of Health in 2024 acknowledged the surge in respiratory infections, particularly noting an increase in influenza cases and the continued monitoring of COVID-19 variants. These respiratory conditions include chronic bronchitis, asthma and other infections affecting the lungs and airways.
Health experts attribute the rise in respiratory cases to deteriorating air quality and unpredictable weather patterns across the country.
Additionally, respiratory illnesses among children are a major concern. According to the KNBS, respiratory diseases are one of the leading causes of child mortality, contributing to 16 percent of all deaths in children under five. Pneumonia, in particular, is responsible for a large portion of these cases, with over 80,000 children under five being treated for pneumonia annually in Kenyan hospitals.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), indicates that untreated respiratory conditions, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia, can lead to serious and often irreversible health complications.
WHO further notes that if not properly managed, these conditions tend to worsen over time, resulting in reduced lung function and more frequent, intense symptoms like shortness of breath and persistent coughing.
By Jane Ngugi
