Kenyans are being urged to take routine health checkups and vaccinations seriously, with experts warning that neglect is costing lives that could be saved with early detection.
Gynaecological Oncologist Dr. Mokomba Alfred says simple tests and timely vaccinations could prevent thousands of serious illnesses each year if made more accessible across all levels of healthcare.
Speaking on Radio Generation, Dr. Mokomba stressed the need for basic tests for high blood pressure, diabetes, and cervical cancer to be available at primary healthcare facilities.
“There should be some way of having people tested for all these things, including sugars and blood pressure,” he said. “If these tests were available at level one and level two, where you have a Clinical Officer, it would go a long, long way in making sure our population is healthy.”
He highlighted that many Kenyans only seek medical care when diseases have reached an advanced stage, leaving doctors with limited treatment options. “Somebody referred with a stroke at the tail end—there’s nothing much you can do to reverse it,” he said.
Mokomba also pointed out that even people with health insurance often skip their annual checkups, which are usually already covered.
The financial burden of treating advanced illnesses is another serious concern. “Some of these conditions, say cancers, even if you have insurance, it will be exhausted so fast,” he explained. “It’s the extremely rich who can manage treatment in the private sector.”
Mokomba placed particular focus on HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening, urging parents to vaccinate girls from age 10. “Let’s have our daughters vaccinated… because it’s been found to be the main cause of this cancer,” he said. “If they are screened, then we are preventing almost 98 percent of those who would get it in the future.”
He addressed fears and misinformation about vaccines, noting that claims circulating since the COVID-19 pandemic are false. “Some people are saying these ones have family planning drugs in them, which is not true, completely,” he said. He added that the Kenya Medical Research Institute has thoroughly examined the HPV vaccine and confirmed it is safe.
Reflecting on the pandemic, Dr. Mokomba acknowledged that misinformation made people doubt vaccines, but stressed that scientific evidence shows they saved lives. “By and large, there is evidence that the vaccines actually helped,” he said.
Cervical cancer remains a major health threat in Kenya, ranking as the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths among women.
According to GLOBOCAN 2020–2022 data, the country records about 5,200–5,800 new cases and 3,200–3,600 deaths annually, with an age-standardized incidence rate of over 30 cases per 100,000 women.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for more than 99 percent of cervical cancer cases, yet the disease is preventable and highly treatable if detected early through vaccination and routine screening such as HPV tests or Pap smears.
Global and national strategies are aligned with the WHO 90-70-90 targets, aiming for 90 percent of girls vaccinated by age 15, 70 percent of women screened at ages 35 and 45, and 90 percent of women with cervical disease receiving proper treatment by 2030.
