The Government has emphasized on the need to have early cancer screening tests to avert its growing spread in the country.
Heath Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has decried its increase in the nation hence calling for awareness.
She urged the media to be at the forefront in encouraging the public to undergo cancer screening as it is now the third leading cause of death in Kenya.
“What we are fighting in managing cancer is awareness. We have no better people to do this awareness except the media. So you have a chance to make a difference,” she said.
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Nakhumicha who was speaking during the opening ceremony of the National Cancer Summit 2023 called upon Kenyans to heed to the call and not to wait till the last minute when the disease cannot be managed.
“We may role and ramp up all the efforts but if Wananchi at the grassroots are not informed of the importance of early screening we shall still talk about the cost of cancer,”she added.
“Cancer remains a major public health concern in our country. It is the third leading cause of death in Kenya. In 2020, the country reported 42,000 new cancer cases and 27,000 cancer-related deaths,”
“The top 5 cancers are those of the breast, cervix, prostate, esophagus and non – Hodgkin’s lymphoma. These 5 cancers account for nearly half of the cancer burden in the country,”
Additionally she disclosed that the government was soon going to launch a 90,000 community health workers Programe that she says will play a critical role in driving cancer out of the country.
