Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong wants the government to take the threat of cancer seriously.
The governor who spoke at three different funerals in Teso South, Matayos and Butula at the weekend, said the number of people dying of the disease in Busia is alarming.
“Cancer is fast becoming a leading disease in this country, therefore, we are calling for quick intervention by the country’s leadership,” he said.
The governor said there should be proper analysis of various ailments at early stages because it becomes expensive to treat them at a later stages.
Busia Deputy Governor Moses Mulomi reiterated the need for early detection of lifestyle diseases including blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer.
“The only cure for cancer is to curb its spread beforehand. This will reduce costs drastically,” he said.
Globally, cancer causes more deaths than HIV/Aids, TB and Malaria combined. In Kenya, cancer is now the third leading cause of deaths and second among non-communicable diseases amounting to 7 per cent of the overall mortality rate.
