Mombasa Governor Abdullswamad Sheriff Nassir has said there’s need to take awareness campaigns about cancer to the grassroots.
Governor Nassir, who’s operating from the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, where he moved his office for a week, has said there is need to create awareness on prevention and early detection of cancer.
He said those are among the reforms the county government is driving in healthcare—not just treating illness.
“We are refocusing our efforts. While we continue to strengthen curative services, we must go to the grassroots,” wrote Abdullswamad on his social media handle.
According to the governor, the cancer clinic at Coast General attends to over to over 8,500 chemotherapy patients and nearly 600 on radiotherapy each year.
“Each day, 110 patients walk through our doors—8 of them newly diagnosed, tragically most cases are detected too late, limiting treatment options,” added Abdullswamad.
Mombasa County is said to have the highest cancer rate in the region, with breast and cervical cancers leading in women and prostate in men.
The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, 2022, shows that only 16 per cent of women aged 15-49 were examined by a healthcare worker for breast and cervical cancers, respectively.