More than half of women diagnosed with cervical cancer in Kenya die each year, mainly because the disease is detected too late, according to the Ministry of Health.
New data shows that out of about 6,000 women screened annually, around 3,500 may not survive the year, raising serious concern about screening, awareness and access to treatment.
Public Health and Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni said the government is worried by the high number of deaths and the low screening rates among women. She noted that less than half of women are going for cervical cancer screening, leaving many at risk without knowing they are sick.
Cervical cancer experts warn that the disease often shows signs slowly and the symptoms can be mistaken for other illnesses, which leads many women to delay seeking care until it is too late.
Muthoni urged women across the country to use the cervical cancer awareness month to learn more about the disease and go for screening. She said early testing is key to saving lives and reducing deaths.
The Public Health PS said Kenya is aligning with the World Health Organization goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030. The global target is to have 90 percent of girls aged 10 to 14 vaccinated against HPV, 70 percent of women aged 25 to 49 screened, and 90 percent of those diagnosed treated.
While Kenya is still below these targets, Muthoni said the Ministry of Health is implementing a strategic plan over the next four years to reach the 90-70-90 goals by 2030. She added that the national government is working with county governments and health partners to spread information and encourage action across the country, including through Community Health Promoters who will urge women in villages to go for screening.
On cancer treatment, Health CS Aden Duale said the current cover stands at Ksh 550,000 per patient, funded by Sh400,000 from SHIF and Sh150,000 from the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund.
He said 33,101 patients have accessed cancer care through SHA, with Ksh 5.8 billion already paid in claims and Sh 774.6 million pending processing.
Duale said 140 hospitals are currently contracted to provide comprehensive cancer services and that limits on treatment cycles have been removed within the annual cap to ensure fairness and flexibility for patients undergoing long-term care.
He added that SHA has requested the Benefits Package and Tariffs Advisory Panel to increase the oncology limit to Sh 1 million per beneficiary to improve access and reduce the financial burden on patients.
