Kitui County Marks Pre-World NTD Day with Football Tournament

By YOANA KIMWELE.

Kitui County’s Public Health Chief Executive led a pre-commemoration event ahead of World Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Day, observed on January 30th. To raise awareness, a football tournament was held, engaging youth in discussions on NTDs such as snake bites, kala-azar, and hookworms, which disproportionately affect vulnerable communities.

Chief Officer Lynn Kitwan highlighted Kitui’s high snake bite cases—over 1,400 in three years—while Dr. Miriam from the African Institute for Health Development stressed the need for prevention.Kenya has officially marked World NTD Day since 2020, with Kitui actively joining efforts to combat these diseases.///__