The Role of Radio and Television in Reducing the Burden and Severity o f Cervical Cancer Among Women in Kenya With Special Focus on Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi Kenya

Abstract

Cancer of the cervix is the second most common cancer among women and the leading killer of women in their reproductive ages. The World Health Organization estimated that 529,409 new cases occurred globally, with 274,883 of the women (52% of cases) dying. Of the total new cases each year, about 86% occur in developing countries, where, unfortunately, 80 - 90% of cervical cancer - related deaths occur due to, among other things, poverty, cultural beliefs and lack of awareness. In the developed world, the situati on is different due to advanced medical care, policies that are enforced to ensure that women go for pap smears at least once every yea r , coupled with media awareness . The situation is quite different in devel oping world especially in Kenya; where p overty, lack of awareness, misconceptions and cultural beliefs inhibit the detection, diagnosis, treatment and/or management and prevention of cervical cancer among women. In Kenya, c ervical cancer is the second most frequent cancer among women and the leading c ause of cancer deaths in women of reproductive age (WRA) with a rate of 300,000 deaths per year. Data from hospital - based registries in Kenya indicate that cancer of the cervix accounted for 70 - 80% of all cancers of the genital tract and 8 - 20% of all cance r cases . T hese statistics do not reflect the cases that go unreported and those in the rural areas. It has been reported that there are 10 to 15 new cases of cervical cancer in Nairobi each week . Despite the grave situation in the country, the media, the g overnment and other stakeholders have not made deliberate efforts towards creating awareness campaigns aimed at the prevention of cervical cancer. The mai n objective of this paper is to examine the influence of radio and television in creating cancer awareness among women in Kenya, with special focus on Nairobi County. The paper is b ased on an on - going PHD study that is being done by the same authors in Nairobi.