Kenya Cancer Association steps up fight against scourge
A radiologist at the Aga Khan Hospital showing how a cancer machine works. The Kenya Cancer Association will on Tuesday, September 15, hold a sensitisation event on the cancer burden in Kenya. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The planned event has been informed by the perennial suffering of patients who have no access to treatment.
- It is estimated that there are about 39,000 new cases of cancer each year in Kenya with more than 27,000 deaths every year.
- Most patients can only afford treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi which charges Sh500 per session.
- Private hospitals' charges range between Sh3,000 and Sh10,000.
The Kenya Cancer Association will on Tuesday, September 15, hold a sensitisation event on the cancer burden in Kenya.
They will also give recommendations on improving the diagnosis, management and treatment of the disease.
The planned event has been informed by the perennial suffering of patients who have no access to treatment due to the exorbitant costs charged by medical facilities and the lack of proper medical facilities in the country.
“These challenges have persisted even as cancer related statistics continue to rise,” read a press statement from the association.
The association will also highlight the major steps it is undertaking in stepping up the fight against the disease.
The event will be attended by, among others, Ministry of Health officials, pharmaceutical companies, cancer survivors and caregivers.
The cancer survivors and caregivers will also share their experiences.
The event will be held at the Laico Regency Hotel in Nairobi beginning 10am.
It is estimated that there are about 39,000 new cases of cancer each year in Kenya, with more than 27,000 deaths every year.
It has, however, been difficult to get accurate national data on the number of new cases because most data is from Nairobi and other urban settings.
Unfortunately, most patients can only afford treatment at Nairobi's Kenyatta National Hospital, which charges Sh500 per session compared with private hospitals, whose charges range from Sh3,000 to Sh10,000.
