Africa-Press – Kenya. Delegates at the National Cancer Summit have endorsed several proposals in the fight against the burden of cancer in the country. Various delegates drawn from the health sector have been holding a two days summit in Nairobi to review the status of the cancer response to date.
The summit also aims to commit to a joint action plan and define a results accountability framework for cancer prevention and control in Kenya. In a joint communiqué, the delegates have agreed to strengthen, expand, and sustain cancer screening programmes to reduce missed opportunities for early detection.
They include the National Cancer Institute of Kenya, national and County Government representatives, religious leaders, community leaders, medical practitioners and healthcare workers and development partners. Others include civil society organizations, private sector partners, cancer survivors and Individuals.
“Together, we endorse the unity of voice and action to build the capacity of healthcare workers, especially at primary healthcare facilities to strengthen early detection of cancer, and community health workers, on how to package messages for community members about cancer risk factors, and disease prevention,” the communiqué reads.
They have also agreed to promote policies that prioritize disease prevention to support wider dissemination of appropriate information on cancer. The delegates have acknowledged that there exist missed opportunities for early detection of cancer.
“We reaffirm the need to stop the acceleration of cancer in the country, and to focus on improving quality of service and equity in access to health benefits among all Kenyans, and more so the most vulnerable in our communities,” they said.
They have also underscored the importance of data in making informed decisions and committed to utilising data from the health surveillance system to inform, model, and direct interventions against the different types of cancer.
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