State urged to help fight cancer in Meru

Meru Governor Isaac Mutuma has appealed for support from the national government to fight the rising cases of cancer in the county.

The governor, who was sworn in two weeks ago following the impeachment of Kawira Mwangaza, said the scourge has affected almost all households.

Research released in 2023 by the British Journal of HealthCare and Medical Research indicated the prevalence of cancer in patients visiting hospitals in Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties stood at 0.32 and 0.38 per cent, respectively.

It also indicated the prevalence trends of cancer cases in the two counties have been increasing over a period of eight years and recommended that proper infrastructural and human capacity development be put in place to combat the disease.

“Out of all cases referred to Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi for cancer therapy from other counties, 15 per cent are from Meru county,” the research confirmed, noting the causes are not well-documented.

“Hospital data indicate throat and brain cancer are prevalent in Kiegoi, possibly due to excessive consumption of alcohol.”

Brain and lung cancers are the most common in Igembe and parts of Tigania, it read and could be due to high consumption of miraa and heavy smoking.

The research partly attributed the increased cancer cases to poor post-harvest handling of cereals leading to development of aflatoxin, as farmers who rely on irrigation rush to harvest their crops when the rains start.

Mutuma urged the national government to take advantage of the public-private-partnerships to help the county deal with the disease.

He also urged President William Ruto, who is on a tour of the Mt Kenya region, to fund a cancer centre that was proposed by former Governor Kiraitu Murungi.

“The centre was to cost Sh1.9 billion. Only you, your excellency, can help us with such funds to establish the centre,” he told the President.

The governor also appealed to Ruto to help transform Meru Referral and Teaching Hospital into a parastatal to enable the county to support other health facilities.

He said Maua stadium has remained unusable as it floods when it rains and asked for help in rehabilitating it. The President pledged to dispatch a team of government officials next week to look into the raised issues and come up with ways to resolve them.

“The team will sit down with you and agree on how the hospital will be uplifted because it’s only a level 6 on paper but a level 4 infrastructure-wise so the government can take it over and equip it,” Ruto said amid cheers by residents of Maua town.

“After addressing the hospital, take the team to the stadium and see what can be done.”