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By Ally Jamah
Kenya: As Kenya joined the world in celebrating the World Cancer Day, experts have warned that the war on the killer disease that is ravaging thousands of Kenyans every year is being rolled back by a huge number of myths.
Among the biggest, deep-seated myths holding sway is that having cancer is an automatic death sentence for the patient, leaving Kenyans diagnosed with the disease to skip or abandon crucial life-saving treatment and choosing to wait for death. Others are driven to suicide for being “cursed” with the condition.
“It is imperative to emphasise that cancer is not a death sentence. Many types of cancer that were once considered a death sentence can now be treated effectively,” said director of Public Health Dr Shahnaaz Shariff on Monday while reading minister Beth Mugo’s written statement.
He added: “By having a population that is well informed, we will have won the battle against cancer by half. Advances in understanding risk factors and their prevention, early detection and treatment has revolutionuised the management of cancer, leading to improved outcomes for patients.”
The centrality of confronting myths in the fight against cancer in this year’s World Cancer Day was reflected on the theme: “Dispelling the damaging myths and misconceptions about cancer, under the tagline, did you know?”
Another widespread damaging belief is that the killer disease is contagious and can be transmitted from one person to another through contact while others, especially in rural parts of the country, consider it to be caused by witchcraft.
“Cancer cannot be transmitted through touch, saliva, blood or in other ways that communicable diseases are transmitted. If you know someone with cancer, please give him or her the extra care they deserve,” said Dr Willis Akhwale, head of Disease Prevention and Control (DPC) programme.
World Health Organisation Country Representative Dr Custodia Mandlhate said there was urgent need to boost awareness and knowledge about cancer as well as its risk factors to empower individuals and communities to better protect themselves.
HIV and Aids
“The good news is that there is growing evidence that about 40 per cent of all cancer deaths can be prevented if they are diagnosed and treated early enough,” she said.
She advised Kenyans to avoid the risk factors for cancers such as tobacco and alcohol use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. Cancer is one of the biggest killers in Kenya responsible for 22,100 deaths, which are more deaths compared to HIV and Aids, malaria and tuberculosis related deaths combined.
Every year, about 28,500 Kenyans are diagnosed with various types of cancers. The leading cancers in women are breast, cervical and throat while for men, the most common are oesophagus and prostate as well as Kaposi sarcoma.
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