Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital has launched the third edition of its annual family cancer walk event which aims to raise funds for expanding the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer in children.
Scheduled to be held on March 17, 2024, the health facility through a presser said the walk is part of Kenya's paediatric cancer programme whose main goal is to reduce paediatric cancer mortality.
Data by Compassion Kenya shows that only 20 per cent of Kenyan children with cancer survive.
It is estimated that childhood cancer incidences amount to 3,000 new cases each year, according to figures from the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN).
The estimates are, however, thought to be significantly lower than actual figures due to a lack of awareness that leads to fewer confirmed diagnoses and reporting.
Speaking about the event, Gertrude's Children's Hospital CEO Robert Nyarango has called on the public to participate to raise awareness and the much-needed funds to support the initiative.
He further said this initiative will help to lower cases of preventable cancer deaths in children.
“Thousands of children are fighting cancer each year, yet many of them are unable to access diagnosis and therefore are not treated," Nyarango said.
"In 2023, our Cancer Program helped more than 40 children access treatment at no cost to their families."
"With the help of participants this year, we aim to raise more funds to expand the programme and reach over 1,000 children suffering from treatable cancers across the country."
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), cancer is a leading cause of death among children and adolescents globally.
WHO estimates that children in low and middle-income countries such as Kenya only have a survival chance of 30 per cent, a stark contrast to the 80 per cent recovery rate in higher-income countries.
On his part, Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital head of clinical services Thomas Ngwiri, noted that in addition to funding treatment, the cancer program also aims to train healthcare workers to identify symptoms and provide quality treatment.
"This is as part of the multi-stakeholder approach to reducing cancer-related deaths among children," he said.
Gertrude’s Children's Hospital first held the cancer walk in 2019 and took a two-year break at the height of the Covid pandemic to resume in 2023.
The walk is set to begin at Uhuru Gardens, Lang'ata and will provide two options, a 13-kilometer long circuit for adults and teenagers and a shorter 5-kilometre path for younger children.
