HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 962513,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/962513/?format=api",
"text_counter": 155,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kathiani, WDM-K",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Robert Mbui",
"speaker": {
"id": 1750,
"legal_name": "Robert Mbui",
"slug": "robert-mbui"
},
"content": "cervical cancer. This comes at a time when we have just lost three prominent Kenyans and many others who have not been talked about, to cancer. When Kenya lost prominent leaders to cancer, it made me go around and ask many questions. I did a bit of research. So, I will be contributing from a point of knowledge. The first thing we need to understand is what cancer is. Apparently, it is the abnormal cells which are divided uncontrollably and destroy body tissues. There are over 100 types of cancers in the world, cervical cancer being one of them. Cervical cancer is a malignant tumour that grows in the cervix and its effect on the victims are really astronomical. It obviously reduces the quality of life of the patient. The cervix is located at the lower part of the uterus or womb and, obviously, it complicates the possibility of one being able to conceive or bear children. Also, there is an uncomfortable discharge from a woman who is suffering from that disease. They also suffer from pain and, at the end of the day, it can lead to death. I have also checked the statistics of cervical cancer. Breast cancer seems to be the second most common type of cancer that is found in women. It affects over half a million women worldwide, and it is frequent in women aged between 35 and 44 years. But it is very rare in women younger than 20 years. If it is diagnosed early, there is a 90 per cent chance of survival. But only 45 per cent of the cases are normally diagnosed early. If it has spread to other tissues, then the survival rate is only 56 per cent. The most interesting part of this, which is really connected to what we are discussing here, is that 90 per cent of deaths occur in low or middle-income countries. Malawi has the highest incidence of cervical cancer. That, obviously, tells us that as a country, we fall within that category in the world where 90 per cent cases of cervical cancer are prevalent. So, it is important that we debate these issues with a view to looking for solutions that can help to safeguard the health of our people. The causes of cancer are not yet 100 per cent known, but majority of the ones that are found on the internet are smoking, alcohol, obesity, lack of exercise and poor nutrition. Some of it is generic. Of course, there is also the HPV virus. Apparently, the HPV virus seems to have a vaccine and that is what the good doctor, Hon. (Dr.) Tecla, is proposing. She is proposing that, as a nation, we ensure that this vaccine is provided to our boys and girls so that the future of this disease is compromised. If we can eradicate this disease within the youth bracket, then it means in the future, it will no longer be a problem. The treatment of cancer is very expensive. There are three ways by which it can be treated. One way is the use of a cocktail of medicines in chemotherapy. The other one is use of high doses of radiation to kill the cancerous cells. The third way is surgery, which is basically the removal of the affected tissues. When you talk about treatment of cancer, it is one of those things that affect the people we represent in such a big way. Almost every weekend, we attend functions where we raise money for the citizens of this country to seek treatment in India. I ask myself one question: How come this country boasts of high levels of education and medicine schools that are supposed to be some of the best within the Continent and yet, we do not seem to have perfected or found out ways by which we can treat this menace? If we could have sorted out that problem; if we had cheap ways of treating the disease, or we had good doctors trained on it, then we would not have a lot of money being spent in India. We spend a lot of money on air tickets, paying doctors and buying medicines from Indian hospitals so that our population can continue to live. The right to life is guaranteed. I think the honourable doctor has come up with a very timely intervention for us, as a nation, to think very clearly about the issue of cancer and to figure out how, as a legislative The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}