The Ministry of Health on Friday officially launched the fifth Cervical Cancer Health Awareness Month.

The launch was officiated by Health CS Susan Wafula and Governor Cecily Mbarire in Embu county.

The launch also saw various stakeholders including cervical cancer champions participate in a walk to raise awareness about the disease that is easily preventable yet continues to be the leading killer in the country.

The CS has reiterated the government's commitment to ensure every Kenyan is able to access the highest attainable standards of health in line with the Constitution of Kenya 2010.

According to Wafula, the ministry has built a capacity of more than 6,500 healthcare workers in all 47 counties at different levels of care with the skills to screen and treat the pre-cancer stage of the disease.

The ministry has also developed various policies and guidelines to guide the implementation of various strategies to ensure that the country is not left behind in the elimination of cervical cancer.

Cancer of the cervix remains a major public health concern in Kenya with data showing that it kills nine women every day, about 3,000 every year.

In Kenya, cancer of the cervix is the second most common kind of cancer in women aged 15 to 44 years after breast cancer.