The Garissa health executive has urged residents to be screened for cancer to prevent the life-threatening and financially draining disease.
Ahmednadhir Omar said diagnosis is still a challenge in the region due to the high number of cases of patients seeking belated medical help after the disease has spread to the extent that treatment cannot save life.
“Early screening and testing can help in treatment of the deadly disease that is rampant in Garissa and other counties in ASAL area,” Omar said in a statement.
He announced that following the February 4 World Cancer Day, the county had rolled out a cancer awareness campaign.
The health chief said in the past six months, 120 cases have been confirmed.
The department of health will embark on an aggressive awareness campaign so that residents are screened at the Garissa Referral Hospital.
“By next year, we must ensure the number of affected is reduced through awareness and early treatment at the first stage to overcome the high number of people succumbing to cancer,’’ he said.
Governor Ali Korane has said that a multibillion-shilling state-of-the-art cancer centre will be built in the county to save residents from costly treatment trips to Nairobi and India.
On World Cancer Day, Garissa cancer coordinator Fatuma Hassan said more than half of the cases in the county were throat cancer.
She said late diagnosis remained a major challenge but all efforts are geared towards awareness for prevention.
She said a technical team was formed to research and give necessary support to reduce the rampant cases of cancer.