Kiambu government has been challenged to initiate and support cancer awareness programmes in an effort to improve the health status of its residents.
Speaking during a public forum on issues affecting residents at Ndenderu Health Centre grounds on Friday, Ndenderu Ward MCA Joel Ng’ang’a challenged the government to sensitise the public on the disease as well as provide cancer screening equipment.
He reiterated that many people were not knowledgeable about various issues surrounding cancer-related diseases; signs and symptoms, how they can prevent it and how they can access treatment.
He further said that many lives have been lost because most of the victims could not detect the disease’s signs and symptoms early.
“If the county government can initiate awareness campaigns, these will help prevent loss of lives,” he reckoned.
The MCA further noted that some types of cancers are caused by avoidable behaviour such as smoking and alcoholism, saying that if the public is guided they could change such lifestyles that make them vulnerable.
“We should help our residents by improving their health standards, cancer screening and education should be frequently done as diseases like breast cancer are very severe and they have claimed so many lives countrywide,” he noted.