Motion seeking to declare cancer a national disaster tabled in parliament

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Nairobi,KENYA: Laikipia County MP Catherine Waruguru has generated a Motion in the house that seeks to declare cancer a national disaster and establishment of Cancer Fund to combat the deadly disease.

The MP is concerned that cancer has been ripping many lives surpassing other cardiovascular and infectious diseases even when research indicates 30% of cancer cases are treatable upon early detection.

The MP is proposing a robust health infrastructure that includes screening facilities to avoid long delays in treatment.

In the motion the MP is rooting for clear polices for terminal pain, treatment and management of the disease.

She wants the government to put more resources to the health facilities and argues that by declaring it national disaster elaborate mechanisms will be developed to ensure the public goes for screening and education as well as counseling.

Weighing in the MPs said the disease has robbed the country of important human resource capital and depleted financial resources and called for adequate symptom management and more funding for research, diagnosis, screening,treatment and palliative care.

The MPs raised alarm over the staggering number of deaths caused by cancer superceding deaths caused by HIV,TB and Malaria while impoverishing families.

MPs said one out of every six deaths is as a result of cancer capping worrying statistics that its the world leading killer disease and call for diagnostic centres to enable Kenyans access treatment and scale down the over 40,000 cases reported every year.

The MPs argue that the cancer fund will be critical in putting in place effective treatment,specialists, chemotherapy and pain management drugs and avoid long referrals that are taxing and cash intensive.

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