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{
    "id": 6790,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/6790/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 348,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Dr. Monda",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 83,
        "legal_name": "Robert Onsare Monda",
        "slug": "robert-monda"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, allow me to observe that in Kenya the number of our mothers, wives, children and sisters who suffer from breast cancer is big. Cancer of the cervix for mothers, again, is another area we need to address as a country. We have cancer that affects children and cancer that affects men. This is not an area that we should wish away. I want to indicate that the few trained medical personnel, be they pathologists, radiologists, oncologists, radiotherapist, nurses, counsellors, nutritionists or palliative care specialists do not provide an environment for research support. Cancer is not just a Kenyan problem. Annually, Africa loses 62,000 women due to cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus. These are the statistics; 62,000 Africans die annually from one type of cancer, which is cervical cancer. If you look at breast cancer, you will find that the numbers are even higher. About 91 per cent of human papilomavirus related cancer deaths in the world are due to cancer of the cervix, with the majority of them in developing countries and Kenya is one of them. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this calls for a deliberate and urgent effort by the Government to act. I know that we had the Motion by hon. James Maina Kamau, which I commend him for, that asked the Government to make cancer treatment free. We know that the Government does not have endless resources, but deliberate efforts must be made by both the Government and the private sector so that we are able to address cancer treatment as a concern to all the population. In Nairobi alone, 46 per cent of women die in gynecological wards due to cancer of the cervix. In Harare, Zimbabwe, 47 women out of every 100,000 die from gynecological cancer. In developing countries cervical cancer presents late when very little can be done in any form of treatment by surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. It is only 46 per cent of provincial hospitals in sub- Saharan Africa that have the capacity to do surgical operation on patients with cervical carcinoma in East and Central Africa. Twenty one percent had gaenocological oncologists to perform the operation. Kenya has only two oncologists. Oncologists in ordinary languages are experts in cancer. So, we are talking about experts in cancer treatment through surgical and medical intervention. We are also talking about radiation. So, if we only have two experts, how much shall we be able to do as a country? So, there is need for the Government to take note of this and set a budget line to address the concerns of cancer. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, worldwide in 2005 it was estimated that there were about 500,000 newly diagnosed cases and about 260,000 deaths that occurred due to the disease, with over 80 per cent of these deaths, again, being from developing countries. So, out of the 260,000 deaths, Kenya has its share and we cannot afford to ignore it. Primary prevention by vaccination, especially for cervical cancer is being done in some countries, but it has not taken root in our country. In Kenya and other developing countries where there is resource restriction, cancer of the cervix is the leading cause of death in women dying from cancers. Lifestyle cannot be ignored. Lifestyle change especially in the area of reproductive health can also lead to reduction of cancer of the cervix. Other jurisdictions – and I want to cite the example of the British Government – deliberately allocated 50 million Pounds for special address to patients who suffer cancer. That was only intended to do intervention on cancer to last for six months. More resources were allocated thereafter. That is why I indicated that unless we have a special cancer Fund to support research, diagnosis, screening, equipment, specialized personnel, drugs, radiotherapy and surgery, then we shall have let the country to continue suffering from the effects of this disease."
}