Cervical Cancer Now Kenya’s Deadliest, WHO Report Shows

The 2026 World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Report on Cancer, published by the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), shows that cancer remains a major public health burden in sub-Saharan Africa. This includes Kenya, despite global progress in prevention and treatment. 

The report estimates that about 21 million people were newly diagnosed with cancer worldwide in 2024, while around 10 million died from the disease. In Kenya, data from the National Cancer Institute indicate more than 47,000 new cases and about 32,000 deaths. 

Speaking at a press briefing, Dr. Isabelle Soerjomataram, Deputy Branch Head of Cancer Surveillance at IARC, said that while one in four people in Europe or North America are expected to develop cancer, only one in 12 are expected to die from it. 

In sub-Saharan Africa, however, the picture is starkly different. Although the likelihood of receiving a cancer diagnosis is about half that of high-income countries, the risk of dying is similar. 

“This inequality stems partly from differences in survival. Survival still depends far too much on where people live and their economic circumstances,” said Dr. Soerjomataram. 

The report found that more than half of women with breast cancer in African countries are diagnosed at stage three or four, compared with about three in 10 in countries such as the United States. 

It also highlights that four in 10 new cancer cases worldwide are linked to preventable risk factors, including tobacco use, infections, alcohol consumption and excess body weight. However, regional differences remain significant. While infections account for only about 20 per cent of known cancer causes in Europe, they account for roughly 75 per cent in Africa. 

Tobacco-Related Cancers 

Dr. Soerjomataram said many cancers are preventable through evidence-based public health interventions. 

Last month, a study published in The Lancet found that the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme resulted in zero cervical cancer deaths in the United Kingdom between 2020 and 2024. By contrast, the WHO report shows cervical cancer continues to claim lives across Africa despite the availability of effective vaccines and screening programmes. 

Globally, tobacco use has fallen by 27 per cent since 2010. WHO’s Cancer Control team says the decline has prevented millions of tobacco-related cancer deaths. In Kenya, the Ministry of Health is backing the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aimed at reducing the country’s burden of non-communicable diseases. 

Andre Ilbawi, from WHO’s Cancer Control team, warned that access to treatment remains deeply unequal. 

“While five-year survival from breast cancer exceeds 85 per cent in high-income countries, it falls below 30 per cent in many low-income countries,” he said. 

Only about 28 per cent of countries, including Kenya, have incorporated essential cancer services into their health benefit packages. WHO also noted that the availability of the 20 priority cancer medicines ranges from just 9 to 54 per cent in low- and lower-middle-income countries, compared with 68 to 94 per cent in high-income countries. 

Early Screening 

Benda Kithaka, a Kenyan health strategist and cancer advocate, said cancer outcomes are determined not only by healthcare facilities but also by awareness, trust and early engagement within communities. 

She said limited screening services, shortages in diagnostic and treatment capacity, financial barriers, stigma, misinformation and low health literacy drive delayed diagnosis. 

“People do not seek care simply because services exist; they seek care when they trust those services, understand their value, and feel they will be treated with dignity,” she said. 

Kithaka noted that treatment facilities remain concentrated in urban centres, forcing many patients to travel long distances for care. She called on governments to invest more in community engagement, education and health literacy, arguing that cervical cancer can often be prevented through HPV vaccination and detected early through routine screening before more intensive treatment is required. 

She also cautioned that the report captures only cases recorded by health facilities. 

“Outcomes depend on uptake, and uptake depends on trust. Civil society organisations are critical in building that trust so communities seek screening earlier and help reverse this trend,” she said. 

(Source: Daily Nation)