Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki says cancer cannot be declared a national disaster due to insufficient data

Cancer is not a national disaster- Health CS says

Mumbi Mutuko

August 1, 2019 7:55 AM

Heath CS says cancer not national disaster

Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki

Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki on Wednesday said that Cancer can not be declared a national disaster yet.

The CS pointed out that for cancer to be declared a national disaster there was need to have sufficient data to back the declaration.

"For cancer to be declared a national disaster, there has to be sufficient data built over time that is scientific, solid and sound enough to back our declaration," CS Kariuki stated.

Health CS Sicily Kariuki Pulse Live Kenya

The Health CS cautioned Kenyans against reacting emotionally to the disease due to the recent deaths of high profile individuals in the country.

Bill presented to declare cancer national disaster

Meanwhile, Laikipia Woman Representative Catherine Waruguru has already presented a Bill to the National Assembly to have cancer declared a national disaster.

The Bill has passed through the Budget and Appropriation committee and now awaits scrutiny by the parliamentary committee on health.

"It is worrying that the disease has continued to kill the lives of many Kenyans. I call upon the President to declare it a national disaster so that more efforts can be made to prevent it," Ms Waruguru stated.

Laikipia Woman Representative Catherine Waruguru Pulse Live Kenya

The legislator noted that once it is debated, passed and assented to by the President, it will see Sh14 billion set aside by the National Treasury and allocated to help fight the disease in all counties.

A report that had been presented before the National Assembly’s Health Committee indicated that close to 33,000 people succumb to cancer every year.

Mumbi Mutuko