Hope in war against cancer despite alarming deaths
Members of the medical fraternity are optimistic that the fight against cancer is yielding results as more Kenyans are going for early testing.
The increase in awareness comes even as more deaths are reported from the dicease yearly and as the country marked the World Cancer Day on February 4, 2026.
This is even as grim figures indicate that out of 45,000 new cases recorded each year, about 29,000 cancer-related deaths are reported over the same period.
According to Dr Gladwell Gatheca, head of Cancer and Non-communicable Diseases Division in the Ministry of Health, the high number of deaths has been due to late diagnosis where patients chances of survival are slim.
However, the official notes that some milestones have been achieved through awareness campaigns and other interventions by the government, achieving positive results in control of some of the cancers.
Dr Gatheca also observed that HPV vaccination of girls against cancer has risen from 35 percent to about 62 percent currently as a result of these interventions which are bearing positive results.
Besides, she adds, the government has decentralized cancer services from big hospitals to various regional centers across the country.
She spoke during the commemoration of World Cancer Day at Kenyatta University Teaching Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) which was marked by a walk and interaction with members of the local community.
“As a country, we are registering nearly 45,000 new cases every year and sadly 29,000 Kenyans are dying as a result of cancer over the same period,
“However, as a government together with some stakeholders, we are implementing some strategies that have seen renewed milestones achievements in the control of the disease,” stated Dr Gatheca.
She explained that decentralization of cancer testing and diagnostic services from major medical facilities in Nairobi to the grassroots was part of the measures that are bearing fruit.
The head of Oncology at KUTRRH Dr Abeid Athman observed that many Kenyans go for diagnosis in the late stages of the disease, making survival difficult and treatment very costly.
He regretted that the high death rate makes cancer the second highest killer disease in the country after pneumonia.
Still, the medic noted that lately, more Kenyans are being diagnosed with stages 1 and 2 cancer as a result of more people embracing the need for early testing.
He enumerated identified cancer of the breast as the leading category, followed by cervical, prostate, esophageal and colonorectal cancer.
Dr Caroline Ngugi the Director Training Research and Partnership at KUTRRH appealed to Kenyans to turn up for testing at the hospital where the service is free.
