Women aged between 21 and 30 years have been advised on the need to be visiting government health facilities to undergo regular cervical cancer screening.
Machakos county executive for health Dr. Ancent Kituku said frequent visits to health centers for screening has been found to be the most effective way addressing the rapid spread of non-communicable diseases globally.
Dr. Kituku therefore urged women to take advantage of the free screening services being offered in public health centers in the county, where they can also be advised on the best practices on ways of protecting themselves.
The county executive for health who was speaking in Machakos town Saturday, as the world embarks on observing the cervical cancer awareness month, has also appealed to churches to advise women congregants to always visit public health facilities where they can undergo cancer screening and get treatment if diagnosed with the disease.
“We are urging all women aged between 18 to 30 years to be undergoing regular cancer screening tests to help in the early diagnosis of the disease. Research has shown that early detection of abnormal cells in the body increases the chances of survival of a patient,” said Dr. Kituku.
Kenya records an average of 28,000 cancer cases every year with a mortality rate of 22,000 and 78.5 percent death rate.
By Samuel Maina/Damaris Mwendwa
