Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki has reacted to blistering criticism that the Ministry of Health has not done enough to deal with the scourge of cancer.
Speaking to members of the press at her office on Wednesday, the CS rejected criticism that interventions had not been undertaken to deal with the disease.
She said the Ministry had implemented various strategies, and put in place infrastructure to help curb the disease.
Among the interventions that had been undertaken were investments in chemotherapy centres, radio therapy centres, mammography centres, and CT scans in the counties.
She, however, admitted that there was still more that needed to be done.
"The government has made significant strides in enhancing access to cancer screening. For instance, cervical cancer screening services are available in public facilities from level 3 (health centres) to level 6.
"The government has also decentralized treatment services so that detected cases are linked to care.Kenyans are now able to access chemotherapy in 7 county referral hospitals (Mombasa, Kisumu, Kakamega, Garissa, Nyeri, Nakuru and Meru).
"Kenya's capacity to detect cancer has significantly improved. As estimated 47,887 new cases of cancer are detected, 3,200 among children below 18 and 32,987 people die annually. The 5 most common cancers are Breast, Cervical, Oesophageal, Prostate and Colorectal cancer," she tweeted.
CS Kariuki went on to add that there was a strong need for better coordination of the interventions so as to bring on board the media and the civil society.
She reiterated the need for awareness raising about cancer, so as to influence behavior change among Kenyans especially in matters of lifestyle.
Her sobering remarks come barely a week after the country lost two prominent leaders; Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso and Kibra Member of Parliament Ken Okoth, who died of cancer related complications.