Nyeri County government, Ministry of Health’s National Cancer Control Program (NCCP) and GE Healthcare have launched a Mammography screening campaign in the county. This is in a bid to promote early detection of breast cancer.
The one-month campaign will target over 10,000 women aged 40 years and above which is the recommended age for mammography screening. Over 50 Community Healthcare Volunteers and 30 healthcare professionals were trained to support the campaign.
GE Healthcare’s Senographe Crystal digital mammography machine will be used for the screening at the Nyeri County Referral Hospital. The system delivers excellent image quality facilitating early detection while ensuring a positive patient experience.
The Nyeri County Deputy Governor Dr. Caroline Karugu had this to say, “Breast cancer is a cancer that affects the breasts, mostly in women and it can also affect men though it is rare. In 2018, breast cancer was the most common cancer treated at the Nyeri County Referral Hospital. Out of the 10 cases of cancer reported at Nyeri County referral hospital, 7 cases are breast cancer cases. Even with this occurrence, only two mammogram exams were done per day around the same period indicating underutilization of the digital mammography machine available at the hospital. This campaign seeks to challenge women to do their Mammo screening which saves lives.”