Machakos county is carrying a heavy cancer burden as cases reported are on the rise.

Governor Wavinya Ndeti has said 465 people were diagnosed in 2022 with the disease in the county.

"Breast Cancer is the most common in women, while prostate cancer is common among men in Machakos County, " Ndeti said.

She said Mwala subcounty is the most affected with 54 cases.

Ndeti spoke when addressing the press during the World Cancer Day commemoration at Machakos Level 5 Hospital on Saturday.

"Cancer remains a major public health concern in Kenya. Statistics from the National Cancer Institute show that Cancer remains the third leading cause of death in Kenya after cardiovascular diseases," Ndeti said.

Ndeti said late diagnosis remains one of the major challenges facing the fight against Cancer in the country.

"We have also experienced challenges with the supply of chemotherapy drugs and shortage of staff who can handle Cancer patients," Ndeti said.

Ndeti made the fight against Cancer in Machakos county one of her promises in her health agenda.

She said through the county's health department, her government had put several measures in their fight against Cancer.

"Prevention is my number one priority even as I ensure those diagnosed with Cancer get the care and treatment," Ndeti said.

The governor said they are now conducting health education on Cancer through community health workers.

She revealed that they have been able to make early diagnosis and testing on patients at the Machakos Cancer Centre and increased early detection of Cancer by 30 per cent.

Ndeti said about 1,300 women benefited from free Cancer screening in Machakos County in January.

Out of these, 25 per cent were found to have cervical Cancer.

"However, I'm happy to report that these women have more than 90 per cent chance of getting cured. At Machakos Cancer Care and Research centre, patients can now get most of the services here without having to travel to Nairobi or even India to seek Cancer treatment and management, " Ndeti said.

The county boss said as World Cancer Day is being observed, it's an opportunity for everyone to raise awareness and education about Cancer.

"We encourage everyone and government to act against the disease in order to prevent the many deaths we witness every day," Ndeti said.