Kenya’s First Lady calls for cancer record change

Nairobi. Kenya’s First lady Margaret Kenyatta on Tuesday called for the change of the cancer narrative to to a message of victory, survival and hope with a promise and new impetus to conquer the disease.

Speaking during the marking of breast cancer mother and launch of a cancer foundation,the First Lady underlined the need to change the current cancer narrative from a “death sentence “to a message of triumph and hope.

The First Lady said despite the month of October each year being set aside as a cancer awareness month, each year witnesses increasing numbers of cancer patients where the disease has now morphed from a marginal medical issue into a full-blown global crisis.

“Every year we set October apart for the breast cancer awareness month and with each year we have seen the issue of cancer continue to grow morphing from a medical issue which is where it began in to a full blown global crisis there are already estimated 1.36 million people living with cancer in Africa and its estimated more that half of the worlds new cancer cases will occur in our continent by year 2030.”

She also said the disease which is currently on the increase holds Kenyans back from the socio-economic success we aspire to achieve.

The First Lady said Kenyans can alleviate the suffering and avoidable deaths through awareness and regular screening for early detection.

“This holds us back from the socio-economic successes that we aspire to achive.

It eats away at the innovative and productive protentional the hard earned investments of families and the futures of many children. This has to stop and it can.”

Mrs Kenyatta expressed optimism that Kenyans can eventually conquer cancer especially if they embrace early screening.

“We can alleviate the suffering and avoidable deaths through awareness and regular screening for early ditaction. (Xinhua)