Cancer has emerged as one of the top two deadliest diseases in Kenya, with the country losing at least 75 lives daily to the illness and more than 45,000 new cases reported each year, according to the National Cancer Institute of Kenya.

During a media breakfast held ahead of the Second National Cancer Summit in Nairobi, the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees at the National Cancer Institute, Dr Timothy Olweny, warned that the disease is tightening its grip on the population due to rising cases and limited access to treatment.

Dr Olweny noted that poverty remains deeply linked to cancer, both as a cause and an outcome, pointing to the heavy financial burden patients face due to expensive treatment and the lack of adequate government funding.

“Now, there is a very distinct association between poverty and ill health, especially when it comes to cancer. And I call it a bidirectional causality because poverty is a cause as well as a consequence of ill health,” said Dr Olweny.

The cancer crisis is further compounded by the limited human resource capacity at the National Cancer Institute, which currently has only 30 employees—far below the required 300, according to the Institute’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Elias Melly.

Dr Melly also expressed concern over exposure to cancer-causing chemicals, calling for urgent action to ban carcinogens in the agricultural sector and in communities.

“The Ministry of Agriculture plays a very crucial role. We all know that chemical exposure is one of the leading causes of cancer. In our farms, in our communities, we need to have very dedicated strategies to make sure that all the chemicals identified to have carcinogenic effects are banned,” said Dr Melly.

He further stated that the government needs to allocate more resources to the Institute to help expand services and reach more patients across the country.

Stakeholders at the summit underscored the need to review and strengthen the Social Health Authority (SHA) to ensure cancer patients can access treatment and medication without facing financial ruin.

As the country continues to battle this growing public health threat, experts are calling on the government to treat cancer as a national emergency and invest in both preventive and curative measures to reduce deaths and improve quality of life for patients.