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By Isabella Maua
Bungoma County residents have been advised to seek early screening services for cancer to help in the early detection, diagnosis, and management of the chronic disease.
Speaking at Posta grounds in Bungoma during the Western Cancer Survivors Trade Expo, County Governor Kenneth Lusaka pointed out that while cancer is a killer disease, when handled on time, it is manageable.
“We are all prone to cancer, and no one is immune, but the earlier we screen, the better we can handle it,” he said.
Lusaka divulged that the county is setting up a pathology laboratory for early diagnosis of cancer through the processing of biceps.
County Plans On Cancer Screening
“Outpatient oncological services will also be provided at Bungoma County Referral Hospital, where chemotherapy services will be readily available for cancer patients,” reported Lusaka.
Health and Sanitation CECM Dr. Andrew Wamalwa stated that cancer is very expensive to treat and called on residents to go for early screening.
“Take care of your diet to avoid contracting cancer; it is an expensive disease to treat, and I am requesting all of us to go for early screening to understand their status,” said Wamalwa.
Elizabeth Balongo, a primary school teacher from Busia County, is a breast cancer survivor who confirms that cancer is not a life sentence and can be handled on time if diagnosed early enough.
“When I received a cancer diagnosis, I felt like my world had crumbled. I confronted it head-on, but it was a tough journey for me throughout the chemo therapies I underwent,” she said.
She called on county governments to make it affordable for cancer patients through allocations of enough funds and support for caregivers.
Collaborative Fight Against Cancer
Bungoma County, in collaboration with the Better World Cancer Organization, hosted the first Western Cancer Survivors Trade Expo as the climax of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Esther Andare, the Managing Director of the Better World Cancer Organization, reported that there are six hundred survivors and patients in the Western Region.
“We have identified six hundred cancer survivors in six sub counties, whom we grouped together into camps and participated in the expo to showcase their wares to attendees, who in turn purchased them for their own sustainability,” explained Andare.
“We deal with different types of cancer survivors and patients, empowering them during and after treatment, assisting them financially for survival, and keeping them going,” she said.
Cancer is the third-leading cause of death in Kenya, with breast cancer being among the leading types of cancer affecting women.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Bungoma County has affirmed its focus on looking for multi-sector al collaboration to raise awareness levels in the county.