Nakuru residents have been asked to go for cancer examinations early to avoid last-minute rush when the disease may already be too advanced to treat.
As the disease becomes a fast killer in the county, health chief officer Dr Samuel Mwaura has said that people have to simply accept to go for testing on a regular basis. This is because when detected early, cancer is curable and even easier to treat.
Mwaura said that for screening, the county government has started an outreach programme that will hopefully reach most residents. He said that women have an advantage in that almost every health centre in the county has facilities or services related to cancer screening.
He revealed that his ministry is engaged in a programme of vaccination, especially for the prevention of cervical cancer.
“Our long term strategy is to roll out a massive screening for cancer in the entire county where everyone will be screened,” the health officer said.
“For now, people need to test regularly. They should not fear because it is all about simple chemical tests being performed on them,” Mwaura added.