Kenya is still dragging its feet in creating cancer awareness but the upsurge of organizations focusing on awareness creation is slowly bearing fruits as there is an increase in the people turning out for cancer screening.
In resource-rich countries, 8 out of 10 children with cancer survive while almost 6 in 10 children with cancer are likely to die in resource poor countries like Kenya.
These figures are staggering and extremely worrying given the fact that 70% of all childhood cancers are curable when diagnosed and treated early.
Early detection of cancer can lead to an affordable and successful treatment compared to late diagnosis which might cost an individual a lot of money and worse still, one’s life.
Cancer information can be communicated in many languages in an effort to reach the desired audience with appropriate information.
Music has been one of the media such information is passed and the communication has reached music lovers, especially the youth.
Recently, Kenya Cancer Association (KENCASA) in partnership with 11 schools held an art exhibition week to showcase cancer through artwork.
The aim of the art exhibition dubbed ‘see cancer through a child’s eye’ was to raise awareness about childhood cancers and see how children think about cancer as a disease.
The event held at the Village Market had six best artwork pieces from participating schools auctioned with a good number of visitors attending to see and buy what the children had drawn.
The amount raised from the auction will go towards paying for the curative treatment for children who cannot afford it.
Other than the six pieces auctioned at the event, the rest of the artwork will be available for sale at the KENCASA offices as well as at future functions organized by the association.
According to the organizers, all schools approached for participation had interest in the event as well as an awareness talk.
According to figures found on the World Child Cancer website it is estimated that at least 100,000 children with cancer die every year from lack of diagnosis and basic treatment – all of them in low and middle income countries.
This is despite the fact that with generic drugs and relatively simple medical procedures, the majority of these children can be saved.
The website goes on to say that children are dying due to an inequality in healthcare and because of the knowledge gap between rich and poor countries.
The most common cancers in Kenya are blood cancer (Leukemia), cancers of the back of the eye (retinoblastoma), cancers of the kidney (nephroblastoma) and bone cancers.
Burkitt’s lymphoma, common in Western and Nyanza accounts for nearly half of all childhood lymphomas in Kenya.
Kenya Cancer Association is a non-profit organization that provides leadership in Cancer Control, advocacy, awareness, research and patient support to save lives and to ensure high quality cancer care in Kenya
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