Deadliest diseases that badly affect In Kenya : Have you heard about the latest news on cancer in Kenya? Did you know that the current situation is alarming? It has been revealed that the number of people diagnosed with cancers have increased by almost fifty percent in the past five years.
This is considered as one of the biggest challenges that health organizations face today. It can cause a lot of economic, social, and environmental problems.
In this article, take a close inspection of the new cancer cases and fatalities rate in Kenya. The main objective of this special feature is to emphasize the worldwide cancer burden for different countries of the east and west.
This is done by contrasting the new cancer cases in Africa and east Asia with the cases and fatalities in western and central Asia. It will also provide you with an idea on the possible reasons for the disparity.
According to experts, the major cause for the increase in cervical cancer case is the lack of awareness regarding breast and cervical cancer screening.
Cervical cancer screening test has become a routine part of health programs especially for women. Unfortunately, these tests are often overlooked and women who should be screened are not informed.
This, experts believe, has led to a significant increase in the number of young women who die or are diagnosed with cancer soon after they start their menstrual period. Lack of cervical cancer screening has led to many deaths in Kenya’s urban communities.
Experts say that the lack of cervical cancer awareness and testing has also led to the increase in new cancer cases. This has become so owing to the high rate of infection in urban communities.
This infection is more prevalent among urban dwellers because of the poor hygienic conditions in the rural areas. Lack of awareness on the part of people has also paved the way for opportunistic infections. This is why infections from untreatable strains of bacteria are increasing in Kenya.
Experts in Kenya say that they are now witnessing what is happening to the general population. It is alarming to note that the number of new cancer cases are increasing at a faster rate in the cities than in the rest of the country.
This is a worrying trend that needs to be monitored to prevent the incidence of cervical cancer. The need for effective cervical cancer testing is not being adequately met by the Kenyans.
Cervical cancer screening test is mandatory for all sexually active women in the country. However, since this is not being offered, there is a dire need for improved cervical cancer control. In order to address this problem, a community perspective is required in the development of public health policies for implementation.
The key to developing a comprehensive public health program in the country is the implementation of integrated cervical cancer control strategies targeting all risk factors and all stages of the disease.
Prevention and early detection are the two pillars of a sound strategy for controlling the cervical cancer burden. The reality is that, despite all the efforts being made, the prevalence of HPV infection in Kenyan women is still very high.
There is no sign of a decline in this situation and the number of new cancer cases is expected to increase. To make things worse, with an aging population the cancer burden will only continue to increase as the number of people living with this condition increases.
In view of these alarming statistics, the Kenyans urgently require access to world class cancer care services in major cities like Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Bloemfontein. Aims to provide world class cancer care services have been expressed by the Kenya National Cancer Program since 2021.
This has been manifested in the establishment of numerous medical facilities throughout the country including several well-known hospitals including the Kenyatta National Hospital and the Mombasa General Hospital. However, despite all these efforts to improve the medical scenario, the sad reality is that the cancer burden continues to increase.
The Ministry of Health developed ten fully operational chemotherapy centres at the county level. Chemotherapy is available in Mombasa, Kisumu, Kakamega, Garissa, Nyeri, Nakuru, and Meru county referral hospitals.
It also provided some counties with diagnostic equipment such as x-rays, computed tomography, ultrasound, and mammography.
The Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kenyatta University Teaching Referral and Research Hospital, Nakuru County Referral Hospital, Mombasa County Referral Hospital, Garissa County, and Kisii County are among the facilities where radiation centres are being established by the Ministry.
There are various recognised gaps in the execution of the suggested well-intentioned measures for cancer prevention, in addition to a lack of awareness.
Inadequate funding for cancer services, inefficient use of human resources, a lack of research and data to support policy creation, and the concentration of cancer services in urban areas are all examples of these gaps.
