Uasin Gishu health executive Joseph Lagat speaking during a stakeholders meeting on Cancer in Eldoret/MATHEWS
NDANYI
Uasin Gishu County is seeking to
scale up cancer screening as part of a comprehensive strategy to tackle the disease.
The county plans to integrate cancer screening into all its health programmes and across all levels of service delivery.
Health executive Joseph Lagat said prevention remains the cornerstone of reducing cancer burden.
He said the health department is implementing measures to strengthen prevention and early detection.
Lagat said the county will partner with local and international stakeholders to establish robust screening programmes, including in rural health facilities.
He spoke during a meeting with delegates from Region Östergötland in Sweden, who are supporting the Equity in Cancer Care Project.
Lagat said the county is committed to incorporating cancer screening into routine medical camps and community health outreaches to enhance awareness and encourage residents to embrace regular testing and early diagnosis.
Under the new plan, the county will also intensify community sensitisation campaigns to combat the growing cancer burden.
“The cancer burden is taking a heavy toll on families who spend huge amounts of money managing the disease,” he said.
“Prevention will sort out the cancers. We are working to establish strong measures on the ground to ensure this becomes a reality.”
He said community health promoters have been instrumental in creating awareness at the grassroots level.
“We will build the capacity of CHPs and use them to scale up cancer sensitisation as part of efforts to ensure better health for our people,” he said.
The visiting Swedish delegation included majority leader Andreas Westoo, opposition representative Kirsten Sjoberg and project head Peter Berrgen.
They praised the county’s efforts to strengthen primary healthcare and promote preventive health strategies.
They also underscored the importance of increasing HPV vaccination among adolescents as a key step in preventing cervical cancer.
Uasin Gishu majority leader Julius Sang, who also attended the meeting, praised the ongoing collaboration, saying the partnership will significantly advance cancer prevention initiatives.
“We must act with urgency. Too many lives have been lost to cancers that could have been prevented or treated early,” he said.
Director of medical services Dr Evans Kiprotich reaffirmed the county’s shift towards primary care and community-level prevention, saying cultural barriers, stigma and limited access to information continue to hinder early detection and diagnosis.
The delegation also toured the Uasin Gishu County Hospital’s oncology clinic, cancer screening unit, lung/TB clinic and the Mama Rachel Ruto Maternity Hospital.
The Uasin Gishu–Östergötland partnership, supported under the International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD) framework, seeks to promote equitable, preventive and community-driven approaches to cancer care—paving the way for a healthier population.
