The Ministry of Health has said it is keen to increase the number of oncologists in the country to deal with rising cases of cancer.
With the country losing more than 27,000 people every year to cancer, the ministry said cases could rise in the coming years.
Last year, 6,800 cases of breast cancer were recorded, followed by cervical cancer at 5,200 and prostate at 3,000.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said if unchecked, the cancer burden, together with other non-communicable diseases, could cripple Kenya’s economic prospects.
“In Kenya, cancer is the third leading cause of death after infectious and cardiovascular diseases, accounting for approximately 10 per cent of all disease mortalities,” he said.
“The government has invested billions into various centres across the country and all we require is human resources to deal with the rising cases.”
The CS said cancer is the leading cause of catastrophic health expenditures in Kenya. Kagwe, who spoke at the end of the National Cancer Stakeholders retreat in Naivasha, said there are various global initiatives going on to control the disease.
“Approximately seven out of 10 cancer patients are diagnosed at late stages when treatment outcomes are poor and this has adverse effects on treatment while the cost of care is high,” Kagwe said.
The CS urged stakeholders to work together to strengthen the health system from community to national referral facilities.
“It is our duty as stakeholders in the cancer control ecosystem to make sure that our community derives maximum benefits from UHC delivery,” he said.
NHIF chief executive Peter Kamunyo denied they had ignored cancer patients, adding that they have several packages to assist the patients.
“We are working on another programme that will cover those seeking services like scanning as we move in to shoulder the baggage carried by cancer patients and their relatives,” he said.
Edited by A.N
