NAIROBI, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta Tuesday launched a regional cancer center at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital in the coastal city of Mombasa.
Kenyatta said the center which will cater for cancer patients in the region and beyond becomes the second public facility of its type in Kenya after the one at the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital.
The ultra-modern facility, developed in partnership between the national government and the county government of Mombasa as part of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) pillar of the development blueprint, boasts of high-tech equipment to offer comprehensive cancer care.
Kenyatta lauded the partnership between the national government and county governments in the delivery of health services to Kenyans.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the commissioning of the specialised cancer center is part of the actualization of the President's UHC vision of ensuring Kenyans have access to excellent standards of health at affordable costs.
Kagwe pointed out that next month a similar cancer facility will be opened in Nakuru followed by Garissa, Kisumu and Nyeri counties.
At least 27,000 Kenyans succumb to the cancer disease annually, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health.
The increase in cases is attributed to adoption of unhealthy lifestyles such as tobacco use, consumption of unhealthy diets, insufficient physical activity and the harmful use of alcohol.
