One in every 15 patients diagnosed with cancer in Kenya is a child, specialists say.
The growing cancer burden among children is worrying the specialists because Kenya has less than 10 paediatric oncologists.
Every year, at least 32,000 patients of all ages are diagnosed with different cancers, according to the Ministry of Health.
Prof William Macharia, a paediatric cancer and blood diseases specialist at Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, says early diagnosis and screening of cancer is one of the ways to improve treatment and management in children.
Currently, in every 10 children diagnosed with cancer, only one survives the treatment.
During a public lecture at the hospital, Macharia assured that with well-managed resources, well-trained medical staff and better access to treatment, doctors can reach more children suffering from the disease.
“Childhood cancers can be better managed through early detection and screening at an early stage to enable healthcare providers to begin early treatment with fewer therapy sessions and few side effects which in the long-run prolongs the life of the patient,” Macharia said.
Forty-five per cent of Kenya’s population is composed of children below 15 years and the peak of childhood cancer is from ages four to seven years.
The older ones are hardly affected by cancer.
The major cancer diseases that highly affect children are Leukemia, Lymphomas and Solid Tumours (from other body organs).
In developing countries like Kenya, the majority of cancer cases are diagnosed late when treatment options are limited, hence, the high cost of treatment.
According to the World Health Organization, cancer is a leading cause of death in children with 300,000 new cases diagnosed each year among children aged between 0-19 years.
Macharia also noted the availability of drugs is a major challenge in the management of cancer.
He urged health stakeholders to look into ways of bulk procurement of cancer drugs and distribution in the East Africa.
He said having cancer treatment centre in every county is not a solution because with too many such centres, the country will lack growth and expertise in certain areas.
“Cancer drugs in wrong hands kill. It is important we ensure that we get a few defined centers that are well equipped. Most treatment centers are not well equipped for diagnosis and treatment and without proper supportive care; cancer treatment kills more than cancer does,” he said.
The public lecture was organised by the Aga Khan University Medical College and School of Nursing and Midwifery, East Africa as part of the 60th anniversary of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi.
The lecture series will run from October to February 2020.
