Fighting cancer: From stigma to survival, a growing crisis

A patient waits patiently as a doctor draws blood from his finger during a prostrate cancer screening at Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital during the celebration of the World Cancer Day on February 4, 2025. [Kanyiri Wahito]

In 2016, at the age of 35, Margaret Kamau's life took a devastating turn. A mother of two with many dreams, she discovered a lump in her breast. A subsequent diagnosis confirmed her worst fear: breast cancer.

"It wasn't easy to accept my diagnosis," Margaret recalls. "I started crying... My husband was with me, and we were overwhelmed."