Cancer Kills More Women than Men as Kenya Leads East Africa in Deaths

Cancer has become the current era’s monster with the number of lives it continues to claim to send cold shivers.

Females are more predisposed to cancer especially in Kenya where new cases are recorded at 28,688 every year.

According to the WHO Globocan report, more females die of cancer than males, accounting for 56 percent of the total deaths in 2017. Cervical cancer is very prominent in all the three countries and there is need to go for vaccinations to avoid listing the statistics.

The modern era lifestyle that has most people past their recommended weight, unhealthy feeding and lack of sufficient exercise have in most scenarios been attributed to the large numbers of diagnosis but we all know there is much more than meets the eye. Here is a look at the numbers in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Related article: Cancer Burden Rises to 18.1 Million New Cases as Deaths Toll Hits 9.6 Million

Kenya

Kenya records 47,887 new cancer cases every year which translates to 39 percent of the 122, 564 infections in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda.

Kenya is, therefore, leading in the number of deaths caused by cancer in the three countries in East Africa with numbers rising to as high as 32, 987 according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Cancer in Kenya leads to 32,987 deaths annually, approximated to be 40 percent of the total cancer deaths that are about 83,426 deaths in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, according to the WHO.

Esophagus cancer leads with 4, 351 deaths in Kenya which are twice the number of deaths recorded in Uganda followed by Cervical Cancer, Breast cancer, prostate cancer, and Kaposi sarcoma coming in at number five in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Tanzania

Tanzania records 42,060 new cancer cases every year with females seen to be at more risk than men in the country.

Tanzania is featured in the top five countries in Africa with the highest cases of cervical cancer according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The East African country has since engaged in vaccination drives to give Human Papilloma Virus (HPC) to ladies aged 14 years and above in efforts to combat this type of cancer that is associated with the female gender.

Related article: Here are 6 Signs You Might Be Having Cancer

Uganda

Uganda records 32, 617 new cancer cases every year with cervix uteri being the lead killer cancer.

Kaposi Sarcoma is mostly associated with people living with HIV/AIDS given their immune deficiency. It is currently one of Uganda’s leading killer cancers claiming most lives in the country than in Kenya and Tanzania.

Uganda recorded 2,159 deaths from Kaposi Sarcoma while cervical cancer remained the largest killer cancer in the country causing 4,301 deaths annually as breast cancer and prostate cancer followed.

Ugandans are however least predisposed to stomach, colon cancer and leukemia.