NAIROBI,
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta vowed on Thursday that his government will step up interventions aimed at containing the growing cases of cancer-related deaths in the country.
Kenyatta, who chaired the cabinet meeting in Nairobi, said the government, working with partners, is putting in place measures including policy interventions that will help ease the burden of the cancer diseases on Kenyans.
His remarks came amid calls for the government’s intervention over the increasing number of cancer cases in the country which recently resulted in the death of two prominent Kenyans – Bomet County governor Joyce Laboso and Kibra member of parliament Ken Okoth.
“This is an issue that we need to take more seriously and galvanize all of us to come up with a solution both in preventive – which is most important – but also in helping fellow Kenyans to get treatment, and get it early for those already affected by the disease,” said Kenyatta in a statement issued after the cabinet meeting.
According to Kenya’s health ministry, it is estimated that 47,887 new cases of cancer are detected and there are 3,200 new cancer cases among children below 18 years.
Infectious illnesses account for 13 percent of all deaths followed by cardiovascular diseases and cancer is the third leading cause of death contributing to 7 percent of deaths. Breast, cervical, esophageal, prostate and colorectal cancer are still the most common in the country, according to the health ministry. (Xinhua)