The other day i was reading an article about celebrity women offering support to fellow women who are either suffering from cancer or had survived the same.What captured my attention was the damming fact that across the globe it is anticipated that 1 out of 8 women are likely to be diagnosed with cancer ,will know of someone suffering from it or will participate in taking care of a victim.Probably because of breast and cervical cancers.However,i was not suprised either.Cancer is one of the leading non communicable diseases that experts have predicted will wrec havoc to human generation by 2030 if appropriate measures are not put in place. The others are hypertension and diabetes.Looking back at home,the minisrty of health through its strategic framework for prevention and control of non communicable diseases 2015-2020 leaves alot to be desired.
The ministry highlighted 10 key aims within the strategy, but for purposes of today i will only focus on two of them,1 and 10.The first being establishishing mechanisms to raise priority accorded to NCDs at national and county levels to intergrate their prevention and control across all government seectors and the other being promotion and strengthening of advocacy,communication and social mobilization for NCDs control and prevention.The government has made strides in the recent past but it will be a lie to create an imagination that situation has improved with respect to agony cancer patients undergo.Recently we were treated to a spectacle by the kenyan doctors reffering their clients to foreign countries for kickbacks ,simply because the cost of diagnosis and treatment in kenya is expensive to say but the least.If the diagnosis and treatment was readily avaliable there would be no need for refferal in the first place,and the common mwanchi cannot afford it unless through a fund raiser.The wealthy and the rich political class are not bothered since they can manage it anyway,the government both national and county needs to work together and provide a solution together as opposed to the political sideshows witnesed in the recent past.Secondly the level of awareness and advocacy is still low,given the fact that most cancers can be managed at early stages if detecttion is timely.Currently 80% of cancer cases are diagnosed at advanced stages.Primary prevention,early detection,diagnosis & treatment , pain relief and palliative care,cancer surveillance,monitoring and evaluation should be accorded priority.Most importantly modification of risk factors is critical,this cuts across for all NCDs,in Kenya the risk factors includes the following:genetic predisposition,enviromental carcinogens,behavioral risk factors and infections.we have a collective responsibility to demand qualityand affordable healthcare from the government of the day in adressing low awareness levels ,early diagnosis and treatment as well as strengthening the refferal system.Have a blessed week.
