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The number of Kenyans dying from cancer is rising according to data from the Kenya Civil Registration Service.
Figures show that between 2013 and 2017, cancer has been the third leading cause of death after malaria and pneumonia, even ahead of HIV and AIDS.
In 2013, 13,720 deaths occurred from cancer and this increased by 19 per cent by 2017. While it is notable that deaths from other causes are fluctuating, cancer deaths are increasing.
In 2017, one in every 11 deaths in Kenya was caused by cancer compared to one in 12 the year before. In 2015, cancer caused one out of every 13 deaths.
This presents a headache to health officials, under pressure to have cancer declared a national disaster. More people are being diagnosed with cancer including younger ones. And Kenya stands warned that unless decisive measures are taken, more people will lose their lives.
But the Health Ministry insists it is committed to tackling cancer and that devolved healthcare has brought diagnosis services closer to the people. With increasing deaths, costs of treatment are also still over the roof. Last year Sh1 billion was spent by the National Hospital Insurance Fund. Treating cancer can be anything between Sh120,000 and Sh2.5 million, depending on the type. Dr Joseph Kibachio, who heads the Non-Communicable Diseases Division in the Ministry of Health says the government is working round the clock to fight cancer and other NCDs.
He nevertheless argues that Kenyans have to make lifestyle choices since cancer and other NCDs mainly stem from what they eat and whether they are physically active. Last year, the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s Globocan released data showing that 18,772 women compared to 14,215 men will die yearly from cancer by 2026 if current trends continue.
A research published in the Lancet earlier this week showed that more young people are getting cancer in the US. The research attributed this to obesity. The report noted the findings thus: from 1995 to 2014 there were 14,672,409 cases for 30 types of cancer.
Incidences significantly increased for six of 12 obesity-elated cancers (multiple myeloma, colorectal, uterine corpus, gallbladder, kidney, and pancreatic cancer) in young adults (25–49 years) with steeper rises in successively younger generations. Obesity is a growing problem in Kenya; the World Factbook shows in 2016, at least one in 14 Kenyans was overweight or obese compared to 2008 when prevalence was one in 25.
Statistics from the Texas cancer Centre show breast cancer is by far the most common form followed by cervical cancer. Data from the facility since 2015 show despite the increase in number of both gender seeking treatment for various forms of cancer, the number of women, somehow constantly, remained higher than that of men. Dr Catherine Nyongesa of the Texas Cancer Centre says it could be because more women than men are coming out to be tested for cancer.
“It could be that men are not coming out mainly because of the nature of cancer that affects them, which is prostate cancer,” says Dr Nyongesa.
The Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance of Kenya through its chair Dr Eva Njenga says Kenya is still lagging behind.
Dr Njenga says all non-communicable diseases cut across all age groups and this is why cancer is also affecting even the younger generations.
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