Health experts are calling on the Ministry of Health to expand sensitisation efforts on diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure) to rural areas, warning that many people are dying before they are diagnosed.
Dr Geoffrey Mutuma, a consultant pathologist and cancer researcher at the Kenya Medical Research Institute, said health outreaches are crucial in reaching people who avoid hospital visits. "Three out of ten people don't know they have diabetes or hypertension," said Mutuma. "Statistics show that about 30 per cent of Kenyans have high blood pressure but are unaware of their condition." .Keep ReadingPolio vaccine safe, health ministry assures KenyansFive new M-pox cases confirmed, including two childrenEnding River Blindness: A disease we can conquerWhy flu treatment could be a lifesaver for diabetic patientsHe said many people collapse and die from stroke-related complications. "Stroke can leave one side of the body paralysed.
Some affected individuals are young and become permanently disabled, they can neither work nor feed themselves," Mutuma said.
Speaking during a health outreach programme in Karen, Nairobi, at the weekend, Mutuma emphasised the need to bring health services closer to the people. "Doctors for Healthy Living is focusing on going where the people are," he said.
