NYANDARUA, Kenya – Nine women die every day from cervical cancer in Kenya, amounting to over 3,200 deaths annually, making it one of the country’s leading cancer-related killers.
The government and health stakeholders are ramping up efforts to reverse this trend, emphasizing early screening and vaccination as the most effective tools in the fight against the disease.
Speaking in Nyandarua County during an event marking World Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni described the statistics as alarming.
Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, today led the commemoration of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, emphasizing the shift from curative care to prevention and health promotion. She highlighted the role of Community Health Promoters in…
She noted that more than 5,200 new cases are reported each year, with most women being diagnosed at late stages when treatment options are limited.
“Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers that can be eliminated through vaccination and early screening. Countries in Europe have done it, and Kenya can, too,” Muthoni stated, urging women to embrace screening.
Dr. Anne Njoroge, Regional Director at Thinkwell, reiterated the urgency of scaling up interventions.
“We are losing nine women every day to a preventable disease. We need to push for more screening and ensure HPV vaccination reaches all eligible girls,” she emphasized.
The Ministry of Health has intensified its campaign targeting 14-year-old girls with the HPV vaccine, a crucial step in preventing cervical cancer in adulthood.
The initiative aligns with global efforts to eliminate the disease, which claims 10 million lives worldwide annually, according to WHO Kenya’s head of non-communicable conditions, Dr. Joyce Nato.
Beyond prevention, concerns about the high cost of cancer treatment have also taken center stage.
Susan Macharia, a breast cancer survivor turned advocate, called on the government to streamline the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) to ensure cancer patients receive timely and affordable treatment.
“The burden of cancer is not just on the patient but on entire families and communities. Access to treatment should be smooth and guaranteed,” she urged.
Health officials are also banking on community health promoters to encourage rural women to take advantage of free cervical cancer screenings now available across health facilities.
