A healthcare company, Health Care Rescue on Saturday launched a month long breast cancer sensitisation exercise in Kisii County.
Several women and men will be expected to undergo free cancer tests at the Kisii Agha Khan Hospital during the exercise dubbed 'Taking Strides against Breast Cancer, One Step at a Time'.
The organisation's head, Roseline Nyakonu, said cancer infections had been rising and urged for quick steps from the government to stem the tide of further infections.
“We are partnering with the hospital and would reach out to more other health facilities in efforts to help people suffering from the disease,” Ms Nyakonu told this writer in Kisii on Saturday.
Kenya records an average of 39,000 new cases of cancer each yea with more than 27,000 deaths per year.
60 per cent of Kenyans affected by the disease are less than 70 years according to the Ministry of Health.
Ms Nyakonu said cancer continues to pose grave health challenges for being the third highest cause of deaths in the country, after infectious and cardiovascular diseases.
The Ministry of Health says women account between 34 per cent infections in breast cancer and 25 per cent in cervical cancer while men come a distant second with 17 per cent breast cancer infections.
Ms Nyakonu said deaths caused by cancer infections had been soaring in the county due to late diagnosis.
“We need to step up awareness in efforts to create massive awareness so that those who turn positive are given early treatment,” she said.
According to Dr Jessie Githanga, a paediatric oncologist at Kenyatta National Hospital, rising cancer infections among children has compounded the challenges in dealing with the disease.
The annual incidence of cancer globally is estimated to be 10 million.
Of this, 5.3 million are in developing countries while 4.7 million are from the developed countries.
The charity would also announce a health conference which would take place at Kisii University in October 30.