An image of the Cervical cancer screen on July 10, 2025.
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World Health Organization African Region
Health officials have raised concerns over the growing burden of cervical cancer in Samburu County after 10 women were diagnosed with the disease within just four hours during a free medical screening exercise in Maralal.
The cases were detected during a cancer screening and general medical consultation camp organised by the Social Health Authority (SHA), the National Cancer Institute of Kenya, and the Samburu County Government on Saturday, July 18.
Speaking during the exercise, SHA Chief Executive Officer Mercy Mwangangi said the high number of cases identified within a short period reflected the importance of taking screening services directly to communities that have limited access to healthcare.
“We opened at 8 am, and by 12 noon, we had already identified 10 cervical cancer cases. Had this medical camp not taken place today, we would probably never have found these women,” she said.
Social Health Authority (SHA) Chief Executive Officer Dr. Nancy Mwangangi.
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SHA
Health officials attributed the worrying trend to a combination of inadequate access to healthcare, limited awareness about cervical cancer, and the lack of local screening facilities, forcing many women to seek treatment only after the disease has progressed.
Residents also cited fear of the screening procedure, cultural beliefs, and misconceptions surrounding cervical cancer as key reasons many women avoid regular check-ups.
One resident said many patients only seek medical attention after developing severe symptoms, by which time the disease has often reached advanced stages.
“Most women here fear the screening process, and many only discover they have cancer when it has reached Stage Four. We are asking the government to extend these medical camps because many families have lost mothers to cancer,” the resident said.
According to the National Cancer Institute of Kenya,the country records about 44,000 newcancer cases every year, with between 6,000 and 7,000 involving cervical cancer. The institute also estimates that nearly 78 per cent of cancer patients are diagnosed at advanced stages, making treatment more difficult and significantly reducing survival chances.
Chief Executive Officer Elias Melly said cervical cancerremains one of the few cancers thatcan be prevented and successfully treated if detected early through routine screening, urging sustained public awareness campaigns, improved access to screening services and stronger collaboration between the national and county governments to promote early diagnosis, particularly in underserved regions.
In Kisumu County, the county government, in partnership with the Africa Cancer Foundation (ACF), has announced a countywide mobile cancer screening initiative aimed at bringing prevention and early diagnosis services closer to residents.
The programme, scheduled to begin in West Seme Ward from July 23 to July 25, will offer free HPV testing and vaccination, cervical cancer screening, breast examinations and ultrasounds, as well as prostate cancer screening and biopsies where medically necessary.
Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o, himself a cancer survivor, urged residents to take advantage of the free services, noting that early diagnosis remains the most effective way to reduce deaths from cervical cancer.
Social Health Authority building in Nairobi.
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Ministry of Health
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