Every year on 19 October, the world marks the International Day against breast cancer, with the aim of raising awareness and promoting women´s access to quality and timely diagnoses and treatment. In this article, we learn more about the work of IPPF's Member Association in Kenya, Reproductive Health Network (RHNK) in addressing breast cancer in the country.
By Nancy Lynn Kavuka
Breast Cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women worldwide and the main reason why women die from cancer.
According to WHO, in 2022, 2.3M women were diagnosed with Breast Cancer and 670,000 deaths reported globally. Women are at an increased chance of developing breast cancer at 99% while only about 1% of men develop the disease.
In Kenya, Breast cancer is the leading type of Cancer at 16.1%. An estimated 6,799 cases were diagnosed in 2020 with 3,107 reported deaths (GLOBOCAN) 2020. The most common cause of death is late diagnosis, as the disease is harder to treat once it has progressed.
Despite the efforts from the government in creating awareness on the disease, there is still increased morbidity and mortality rates. This is due to the late diagnosis and, in most cases, to the spread to other tissues or organs. Data from the Kenya National Cancer Registry 2014-2019 (KNCR) show that 7 out of 10 cancers are diagnosed at advanced stages (stage III and stage IV).
IPPF’s Member Association in Kenya, Reproductive Health Network Kenya (RHNK) is a network of over 500 trained health professionals from private and public health facilities. With presence in 43 counties, RHNK is dedicated to comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), active advocacy, and service provision among other contributors to maternal health challenges. RHNK implements strategic interventions to improve maternal healthcare outcomes in Kenya.
Breast cancer awareness outreaches by RHNK
RHNK actively participates in various outreach and in-reach programs implementation across counties to address the challenges of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in Kenya. Through these outreach efforts and humanitarian works, free screenings and educational workshops in marginalized communities and health workshops focus on awareness and self-examination techniques.
Poverty and inaccessibility to healthcare facilities have significantly contributed to the late diagnosis of breast cancer patients in Kenya, as many cannot afford the confirmatory tests necessary to begin treatment. In some instances, essential treatments are unavailable at public facilities, and due to financial constraints, patients are unable to seek care at private facilities. Insurance coverage can help offset some medical expenses; however, many individuals lack this support, making it challenging to access the required treatment. This situation often leads to disease advancement and potentially life-threatening complications.
October being breast cancer awareness month, provides an opportunity to create awareness on the disease on social media platforms and through Nena na Binti, a toll free call center platform at RHNK where individuals can receive knowledge, and access services for examination and diagnosis of the disease.
Collaboration with partners to address breast cancer
There is a need for the government and other stakeholders (private sector and NGOs) to come together and support in managing the breast cancer crisis. This can be effectively done by holding community engagements, continuous medical examinations, and integration of services in our health facilities. This ensures that women are not only receiving knowledge on breast cancer when they visit the gynecological clinics, but even in the outpatients’ departments and any other clinics they may visit in the hospital. Improving infrastructure at all levels of health facilities is crucial in early diagnosis and follow up care for all patients. Effective referral systems from any suspicious detection in the lower-level facilities should be documented, and client referred to the next level of care and early treatment commenced.
Campaigns promoting the wellbeing of the community by increasing awareness of breast cancer, early detection, treatment, and palliative care should be undertaken. Homecare providers also play a crucial role in taking care of the patients and it is important to involve them during diagnosis, treatment and home-based care of the sick person. Support groups and psychotherapy for people with breast cancer and their caregivers will improve their mental and emotional state and ensure they are on constant follow up. This is important in detecting any complications, drug failure, metastasis or any other illnesses that may come up during this period.
Breast cancer correlates with several sustainable development goals (SDGs) that relate to health, gender equality and reducing inequalities. Efforts to improve access to care, affordability of services and treatment should be a priority by the government to ensure that patients get early detection of disease and treatment commenced soon after detection to reduce morbidity and mortality rates. For us to achieve the one third reduction mortality rates in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) where breast cancer contributes highly to the crisis, the government should ensure that measures are in place to fight against breast cancer and save lives or prolong life for the affected patients.
Resources should be dedicated to preventive measures in the universal health coverage (UHC) schemes that can be highly effective in saving lives and reducing the cost of cancer to public health systems. UHC aims at ensuring that all Kenyans access and receive essential quality health services without suffering financial hardship. These services include promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services. Raising public awareness about modifiable cancer risk factors (such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, unhealthy foods, lack of physical exercise and vaccination against HPV and Hepatitis B) can help save lives and reduce the cost of cancer to public health systems.
Addressing the barriers to breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in Kenya requires a multifaceted approach. Through targeted outreach and in reach efforts, we can improve access to care and ensure that all patients receive the timely treatment they need. By raising awareness and fostering community engagement, we can work together to combat the impact of poverty on breast cancer outcomes and save lives.
Nancy Lynn Kavuka is the Service Delivery Manager at RHNK.
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Related Member Association
Reproductive Health Network Kenya