With increased awareness cancer prevalence in Kenya can be eradicated

Cancer is when abnormal cells divide in an uncontrolled way. Some cancers may eventually spread into other tissues.  It often causes death if not detected early.

Most cancers are named for the organ or type of cell in which they start.  For instance, cancer that begins in the breast is called breast cancer, cancer that begins in the colon is called colon cancer. Cancer that begins in the lung is called lung cancer.

For a long time, cancer was associated with the developed nations. Today, it is not.

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that 70 percent of cancer deaths are now occurring in low and middle-income countries.

WHO further estimates 8.2 million people die annually of cancer and the numbers are expected to triple by 2030. In Africa, WHO says it kills 450,000 annually and by 2030 it would have claimed 1 million annually according to the WHO estimates.

WHO says the most common African cancers are the most treatable, including breast, cervical and prostate tumors as reported by the New York Times.

In Kenya, cancer is the 3rd leading cause of death after infectious and cardiovascular diseases.  In 2012, there was an estimated 37,000 new cancer cases and 28,500 cancer deaths in Kenya.

The leading cancers in women are cervix uteri,  breast, and esophagus. In men, prostate, Kaposi sarcoma and esophagus are the most common cancers in Kenya.

Like most illnesses, there are many factors that cause a person to be struck with cancer.
Most types of cancers, however, become more common as people get older.

Kenya has lost many of its senior citizens through the illness of cancer.  The number of cancer deaths among the older members of society in the region cannot be ignored or wished away.

In Kenya, the greatest challenge is not the inadequate number of oncologists, radiotherapy machines, it is information to the public.

Most symptoms are often misdiagnosed. Most of the reported cases are diagnosed at late stages.
Thus, leading to deaths due to inaccessibility to treatment because the cost is out of reach.

“Sensitisation and awareness – Public Health Education- is the most important. The rest is secondary,” says Eric Amunga, a Medical Practitioner.

Kenya has a National Cancer Control Strategy 2017 -2022 that builds on the achievements of the first national cancer strategy (2011-2016).

This is in line with the Kenya National Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2015 – 2020 and the Kenya Vision 2030 social pillar that aims to improve the quality of life of all Kenyans.

The strategy outlines broad areas of action along the cancer continuum and will be achieved through five strategic pillars: 1. Prevention, early detection and cancer screening, 2. Cancer diagnosis, registration, and surveillance, 3. Cancer treatment, palliative care and survivorship, 4. Coordination, partnership, and financing for cancer control and 5. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research.

However, it is interesting the strategy calls upon the government to, “ Develop a strategic framework that will guide at all levels of governance to effectively plan and implement cancer prevention and control interventions.”

According to the strategy, prevention offers the most cost-effective long-term strategy for the control of cancer.
Current evidence indicates that between 30 percent and 50 percent of cancer deaths could be prevented by modifying or avoiding key risk factors, including avoiding tobacco products, reducing alcohol consumption, maintaining a healthy body weight, exercising regularly and addressing infection-related risk factors.

Further, it is imperative the Ministry of Health in conjunction with the country’s Referral hospitals to put in place credible tracking mechanisms to document the death caused by cancer in the country.

The ministry must urgently undertake research and studies to clearly establish the factors that are behind the high incidences of cancer afflictions and resultant deaths with an aim of  developing programmes, materials that can be disseminated in the country to create awareness about the causes of cancer, the means to early detection of cancer, the ways in which people can minimize the risks that lead to the onset of cancer and all other strategies that may ultimately lead to the country reducing the deaths caused by cancer.

On the other hand, with the advances in medicine and science it is possible for this silent killer menace of cancer to be tackled and the causes of its prevalence be known and where possible the same be eliminated and or minimized and further measures, systems be put in place for the early detection of cancer to facilitate it’s being medically addressed.

The government should also note that it is not possible for the public to make healthy decisions and participate meaningfully in healthy activities it does not allocate resources to educate them.

Further, through the National Treasury, adequate funds need to be set aside and disbursed to the devolved governments to initiate and provide comprehensive cancer prevention and population-based early detection services to ensure that it is effective, coordinated work to improve cancer prevention and control across the continuum of care.

It is important for the private sector to collaborate in mobilising, and allocating resources to fund the training of the health professionals, and technology development and testing for cancer control.

It is commendable that Barclays Bank of Kenya has stepped up to the challenge in convening a stakeholders forum dubbed ‘ Wrap your head around breast cancer’.

The forum brings together officials from the Ministry of Health, Medical practitioners, cancer survivors, insurance providers and caregivers to talk about cancer.

The stakeholders will discuss issues surrounding, early detection and the cost of treatment, cancer stages, available options for treatment and why India and South Africa remain the preferable treatment destination and solutions for Kenya.

Among the challenges that the sector faces and needs to be addressed are lack of clear policy on the nature and type of technical training to be offered, lack of facilities and materials to offer in the curriculum, trained teachers, and lack of government commitment in the provision of recurrent and development expenditure.

In the long run, with more players uniting in these efforts, integration of prevention, screening, and early detection interventions into other programs will give optimal public health benefits, with minimal cost implications and long-term cancer control benefits.