Crown Paints Plc has partnered with Women 4 Cancer organization to sensitize lady painters in the country on early detection and treatment of cancer as the country marks breast cancer awareness month.
According to the Ministry of Health, about 75% of women are not able to perform a self-breast examination (SBE) with only a paltry 14% being able to have a clinical breast examination due to lack of information.
Statistics from Globocan 2018 shows Cancer as the third leading cause of death in Kenya after Cardiovascular and infectious diseases combined.
Every year, 48,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed with 33,000 deaths reported annually which translates into one cancer death after every 15minutes.
Crown Paints Group Human Resources Manager Nicholas Wanambisi noted the important role Women 4 Cancer was playing in sensitizing and creating cancer awareness among women and urged corporate organizations to come on board and help in raising awareness on early detection as many women have over the years succumbed to the disease due to lack of sufficient information on Cancer management and treatment.
“Breast cancer accounts to about 20.9% among women and this is one of the reasons we have decided to visit our lady painters at their places of work such as mjengo and auto garages due to social distancing brought about by Covid-19 pandemic and sensitized them on early screening and detection services since if the disease is detected early there are possibilities of seeking treatment and saving lives”, Wanambisi explained.
Catherine Wachira, Board Chair Women 4 Cancer applauded the partnership with Crown Paints stating that both Breast and Cervical Cancer were the main cause of death with 9 women losing their lives to cervical cancer and 7 to breast cancer, calling for the urgent need for public awareness and education on cancer prevention and early detection.
“We seek to raise awareness on Cancer and emphasizes the need for one to be self-aware and how to seek routine screening for early detection. Women 4 Cancer has been at the forefront in championing the uptake of the HPV vaccine in Kenya as a safe and effective cervical cancer prevention”, Ms. Wachira explained.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the cancer vaccine to be given to 9-15 years old girls as a prevention measure. In Kenya, the vaccine is available free charge in public facilities to 10-year-old girls and given in two doses 6 months apart.
After the first COVID-19 case in the country back in March this year, many people living with non-communicable diseases such as cancer, have endured segmentation as they are perceived to be the most vulnerable group of people in the society making them not to seek medical care despite their health condition.
