At least 400 Laikipia County residents have benefited from free cancer screening exercise and sensitization on the killer disease.
The activity held by the National Cancer Institute in conjunction with the Nanyuki Huduma centre in Nanyuki town saw women undergo cervical and breast cancer screening.
“We are trying to create awareness so that everyone can understand the cancer menace. We have realised that women have poor health seeking behaviour on non-communicable diseases,” Laikipia Health Service (LHS) Reproductive Health Coordinator Ms Alice Gachigi told KNA.
She added that cancer had debilitated women hence not able to support their families.
“Cervical cancer prevalence is high among women where it kills seven women every day in Kenya. Most of the women are the breadwinners and with the disease, they are drained financially.”
Ms Gachigi revealed there is a need to have consolidated cancer data of the cases they refer to Kenyatta National Hospital for easy monitoring of cancer prevalence in the county.
She encouraged residents to take up the opportunity of cancer screening for early detection and treatment.
“Women seek health services when only in pain. Cancer isn’t painful until the advanced stage and therefore nobody wants to visit the hospital when they are not hurt. Community lacks awareness and that’s why we have taken the challenge to inform them to be health cautious,” said Ms Gachigi.
Apart from cancer screening and counselling services, residents benefited from Covid-19 vaccination, HIV and Aids testing, High Blood pressure and Body Mass Index (BMI) checking.
Laikipia County Huduma Centre Manager Deborah Mwarania said they partnered with the cancer institute to also take government services closer to residents aimed at easing costs and enhancing efficiency.
“We decided to deliver services to the public at their convenience. Some of them going to Huduma centre is quite costly and so, we try as much as we can to reach them,” said the centre manager.
She encouraged candidates who sat for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) to apply for courses of their choice through Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) at Huduma centre.
By Muturi Mwangi
