• The National Cancer Institute's chairman Ochiba Lukandu painted a sorry state of the fight against the disease.
• Institute lacks office space and has inadequate staffers.
Image: MAGDALINE SAYA
A report by the National Cancer Institute has revealed that for every 365 people diagnosed with oesophagus cancer Kenya every month, 363 die of the disease.
Oesophagus cancer is now classified among one of the killer diseases since only two of the patients found with the disease survive.
Annually, Kenya records at least 4,380 new cases and 4,351 patients succumb to the disease.
Acting chief executive officer of the institute Alfred Karagu said breast and cervical cancer rank high in new infections.
"Cancer is ranked as the third leading cause of death in Kenya after infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases,” Karagu said.
The institute charged with coordination and centralisation related to cancer prevention and control said 5,985 patients are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. He said deaths from breast cancer stand at 2,553 every year.
Documents from the NCI tabled before the National Assembly Health Committee indicate that at least 5,250 cases of cervical cancer are recorded yearly resulting in 3,286 deaths.
The report shows at least 2,864 new cases of prostate cancer are reported yearly while there are 2,316 newly diagnosed cases of colorectal cancer.
Deaths from prostrate and colorectal cancer stand at more than 1,663 and 1,466 over one year period, respectively.
The NCI says annually, there are 47,887 new cases of all types of cancer and 32,987 deaths resulting from them.
The institute's chairman Ochiba Lukandu painted a sorry state of the fight against cancer. He said the Institute lacks an office and adequate staffers to undertake its crucial mandate.
The NCI told MPs that the institute requires between 60 to 100 employees. However, it currently has only six officers who were all seconded by the Ministry of Health.
Lukandu also said the institute is underfunded since it only received Sh14 million in the 2019-20 budget to combat the disease.
“Currently, we do not have infrastructure like office space and we are relying entirely on the goodwill of the ministry,"Lukandu said.
“There is no payroll for the National Cancer Institute. We are working with a team of six deployed by the ministry. For three years, I have been running the institute alone,” Karagu.
MPs Alfred Agoi (Sabatia) and James Murgor (Keiyo South) demanded that the committee summons Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki to explain the underfunding of the key agency.
(Edited by P. Wanambisi)