Kenya loses 90 people to cancer daily, data from the Health ministry shows.
The figures were released last week by the World Health Organisation. The disease now claims 69 per cent of its victims — 32,900 deaths every year. This is 10 times more than the total deaths caused by road accidents. Some 3,000 Kenyans die in road carnage yearly.
The numbers paint a grim picture in the war on cancer. The disease ranks third on the list of top killers after pneumonia and malaria.
Kenya records 47,887 new cancer cases annually — about 130 daily. In 2012 when the last survey was published, it recorded 40,000 new cases and 27,000 deaths annually.
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Despite campaigns and efforts to win the war on cancer, the situation has worsened. There has been a near 20 per cent increase in cases diagnosed every year.
Oesophagus cancer leads among men and women with 4,380 cases yearly. Among women, breast, cervical cancer lead at 5,985 and 5,250 cases each. In men, prostrate cancer leads at 2,864 cases.
Breast cancer is responsible for the largest number of deaths, killing 23 per cent of its victims. Cervical cancer claims 20.5 per cent of its victims, prostrate ( 11.3 per cent), oesophagus ( 8.6 per cent) and colorectal (colon or rectal) at 4.5 per cent.
National Cancer Institute CEO Alfred Karagu yesterday attributed the increased cases to a combination of factors, including smoking, alcohol, diet and lack of exercise.
Diets high in red and processed meat have contributed to the rise in bowel cancer. Karagu said more cases are detected, as many people seek medication because of improved health services and equipment.
“More people have turned to a westernised diet — eating foods that are high in sugar, fat and highly processed. This could be one of the reasons for increasing the cases,” he said.
He also cited age and population growth as other factors. In prostrate cancer, more than three-quarters of all people diagnosed are over the age of 60.
Meanwhile, the University of Nairobi yesterday signed an MoU with Cherami Investment Group to establish a cancer research institute.
Education CS Amina Mohamed said the centre will help fix some of the pressing health challenges in the country and the region.
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