Cancer among top two killer diseases in Kenya

Cancer has continued to be a threat that claims thousands of lives across the country, with its cost in medication becoming more than a luxury for many who get diagnosed.

The National Cancer Institute of Kenya reports that over 45,000 individuals are diagnosed with this dreaded disease annually, with 24,000 victims succumbing to it.

Speaking during a media breakfast ahead of the Second National Cancer Summit in Nairobi, the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees at the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Timothy Olweny, expressed concern over the growing burden of cancer.

He attributed the worrying trend to inadequate government funding and the high cost of cancer drugs and treatment, factors he says are severely hampering the fight against the disease.

“Now, there is a very distinct association between poverty and ill health, especially when it comes to cancer. And I call it a bidirectional causality because poverty is a cause as well as a consequence of ill health," said Dr. Olweny.

However, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Cancer Institute of Kenya, Dr. Elias Melly, called for the banning of more carcinogenic chemicals that increase the spread of cancer to unaware consumers.

“The Ministry of Agriculture plays a very crucial role. We all know that chemical exposure is one of the leading causes of cancer. In our farms, in our communities, we need to have very dedicated strategies to make sure that all the chemicals identified to have carcinogenic effects are banned,” said Dr. Melly.

Stakeholders at the National Cancer Institute called for government intervention to provide substantial funding to aid the organisation, which currently has only 30 workers—a labour deficit of 270, according to Dr. Melly.

A more robust revision of the Social Health Authority (SHA) is said to be a step toward enabling cancer patients to access treatment and drugs in hospitals.

Cancer now ranks among the top two deadliest diseases in Kenya, with a devastating number of at least 75 lives lost each day.