NAIROB, Kenya Jan 24 – It is now emerging that more than half of the women who are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year die as most of these cases are detected late.
National survey puts it that out of 6,000 women who are screened for cervical cancer, about 3500 may not make it through the year.
Public Health and Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni says the Government is thoroughly concerned about these statistics.
More worrying is the fact the percentage of women presenting themselves to health facilities for screening is below 50%, a fact that puts more women at the risk of walking around with diseases they know nothing of.
Cervical cancer experts say the symptoms may take longer to be detected and one may ignore them as something else, not knowing they are exposed to danger
Muthoni is urging women across the country to take advantage of the cervical cancer awareness month to learn more about the disease as well as go for screening to ascertain their status.
The World Health Organization (WHO) adopted goals seeking to eliminate the disease by 2030 with the Public Health PS noting that Kenya is aligning itself with the goals that look into having 90% of girls between the ages of 10 – 14 vaccinated with the HPV vaccination, 70% of women between the ages of 25 – 49 screened and 90% of those diagnosed, treated.
Whilst Kenya falls short of the targets as set out by WHO, the PS says the ministry of Health is implementing a strategic plan whose implementation is within the next 4 years, that is to 2030, to have the 90 – 70 – 90 targets achieved.
To this end, the National Government is engaging the County Governments and different players in the health sector to have information spread and actioned across the country, even through the Community Health Promoters (CHPs) who are to urge all women in the villages to go for screening.