Why non-communicable diseases are surging in Kenya’s Mount Kenya region
Health officers in the Mount Kenya region are warning of a rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), saying lifestyle habits, late diagnosis and weak prevention systems are driving more residents into long-term illness.
At a town hall meeting held at PCEA Tumutumu Hospital in Nyeri, doctors reported unusually high cases of diabetes, hypertension and several cancers, conditions now accounting for about half of all deaths in the county, the Nation reports.
Nyeri County Director of Medical Services, Dr Nelson Muriu, said diabetes prevalence in some sub-counties has reached alarming levels.
“Nationally, diabetes stands at around eight per cent, but some areas here are recording up to 75 per cent,” he said. “This is a serious burden we cannot ignore.”
Doctors also noted that men are far more likely to delay seeking care, contributing to higher mortality rates. Census data shows women in Nyeri live nearly 10 years longer than men.
Cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, stroke and heart attacks, now make up roughly 80 per cent of NCD cases at Tumutumu Hospital, while cancers such as breast, cervical, prostate, stomach and oesophageal are steadily rising. Many patients seek help only when their disease is already at an advanced stage.
Oncologist Dr George Oguta said most cancer patients arrive at stage three or four, when treatment options are limited and costly. “Many cannot even afford basic screening,” he added. Health officials link the surge to tobacco use, heavy drinking, poor diets, physical inactivity and increasingly westernised eating habits.
The county is developing programmes aimed at improving health-seeking behaviour, especially among men, as NCDs continue to outpace communicable diseases in the region.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
