We need to take cancer treatment and prevention more seriously
What you need to know:
- How many Kenyans will never get a chance at treatment, given the statistics that more than 50 people die daily due to cancer-related complications in this country?
Over the past few years, many Kenyans have succumbed to cancer. Some prominent people have come out to say they are victims of this deadly disease.
The big question is whether cancer has been given the right emphasis and whether effective strategies have been put in place to tackle it.
Cancer is a global crisis, yet little is being done to address it with the seriousness it deserves. According to statistics, cancer is slowly overtaking HIV/Aids as one of the greatest killers.
HIV control policies have been put in place and given priority while little attention is paid to cancer. A clinical officer once said on a radio show that all public hospital cancer treatment machines were booked until 2017.
How many Kenyans will never get a chance at treatment, given the statistics that more than 50 people die daily due to cancer-related complications in this country?
Cancer places a heavy burden on families and has an enormous economic impact.
We need to build our cancer prevention and control capacity in both private and public hospitals through awareness campaigns, human resource development, and acquisition of modern equipment.
SAKWA DANCUN, Masinde Muliro University
