•Six counties from the region top the first 10 devolved units with the highest number of cases in the country.
• At least 27,092 people die of cancer every year in Kenya.
Mt Kenya is shouldering the highest cancer disease burden in the country, Ministry of Health data shows.
At least 27,092 people die of cancer every year in Kenya.
The data presented to the Senate Health committee indicates that six counties from the region top the first 10 devolved units with the highest number of cases in the country.
The report was in response to a statement sought by Senator Getrude Musuruve on the status of cancer in the country.
It showed that Nyeri, Murang’a, Kirinyaga and Embu counties have the highest disease prevalence.
In Nyeri, cancer incidence stands at 2,127 for every 100,000 people, followed by Murang’a which accounts for 2,123 cases and Kirinyaga's 2,033 cases.
The report presented by Health CS Mutahi Kagwe and CAS Mercy Mwangangi shows Embu has 1,906 cases, Taita Taveta 1,884 and Machakos has 1,844 for every 100,00 people.
Kiambu, Meru, Nyandarua and Vihiga top the list of first 10 counties with the highest cancer burden.
Kiambu has 1,793, Meru 1,789, Nyandarua 1,776 and Vihiga has 1,766 cases.
Other counties with high cancer cases are Laikipia (1,740), Makueni (1,692), Kisii (1,670), Tharaka Nithi (1,644), Lamu (1,641), Siaya (1,630), Kitui (1,624) and Nakuru (1,612).
Kagwe told the nine-member committee chaired by Trans Nzoia Senator Michael Mbito that the Northern region has the least number of cancer cases in the country.
The cases are least in Wajir (1,221), Mandera (1,224), Garissa (1,257), West Pokot (1,273), Turkana (1,289) and Samburu (1,313).
According to the report, cancer is the third leading cause of death after infectious and cardiovascular (heart related) diseases.
About 42,116 cases of cancer are reported every year.
“Cancer screening and diagnostic imaging services are available in all 47 counties through MES (Managed Equipment Services) project,” Kagwe said in the report.
However, diagnostic histopathology services are available in only 10 of the 47 country referral hospitals.
“Eleven county referral facilities are providing chemotherapy services with three set to begin providing radiotherapy services in this financial year,” the report states.
Nairobi has the highest capacity to treat cancer. The report says the capital city is the only county able to use nuclear medicine to treat the scourge.
The CS, however, said that is not all doom and gloom as the government has made massive investments in cancer screening and treatment.
Kagwe said the recently launched integrated molecular imaging centre at the Kenyatta Teaching and Referral Hospital has treated more than 200 cancer patients since January.
“These people would have otherwise gone to India had it been for the fact that we have this center,” he said.
The CS said the government has also trained and build capacities of health personnel to better treat the scourge.
“In terms of infrastructure, we have got the best equipment in this part of the world,” he said.
Kagwe said the government has also unveiled a state of the art cancer centre in Mombasa. A facility he said, has attended to not only Kenyans, but patients from neighbouring countries.
He said the government has employed 75 oncology specialists to provide cancer management services across various health facilities in the country.
“The ministry has supported training institutions to provide oncology trainings including through secondment of faculty, for example, at the University of Nairobi Radiation Oncology training programme,” the CS said.
Counties in central have been a concern to the ministry over a rising burden of non-communicable diseases.
Last September, Kagwe raised alarm over the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in Murang’a county.
This was barely two months after a similar report showed that Kirinyaga and Nyeri have the highest prevalence of obesity.
The region was also identified as having the biggest burden of aging population and those with chronic illnesses, exposing the region to Covid-19 susceptibility.
Acting director general of Health Dr Patrick Amoth said the elderly population comprises of people who tend to have comorbidities.
These include diabetes, heart problems, hypertension and kidney problem.
Amoth said the population is at higher risk of getting severe Covid-19 disease and increased risk of death.
Another study conducted in 2016 and published in the National Library of Medicine found that Nyeri county had one of the highest diabetes prevalence in the country.
The county had a 12.6 per cent prevalence rate compared to the country's 5.6 per cent.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)