The business community in Malindi has come together to support the fight against breast cancer through a new campaign aimed at easing the burden on patients and raising awareness about the disease.
Under the banner “Night of Hope and Strength,” the group is mobilizing resources to fund breast cancer awareness drives and provide treatment assistance to patients who cannot afford medical care.
According to Charity Karimi, the initiative’s director, stigma, poverty, and the absence of specialized cancer treatment centers in the region have contributed to unnecessary suffering and loss of life.
“The situation is dire. Many people choose to suffer in silence because of the stigma associated with cancer. We’ve met several individuals who refuse to seek help for fear of being judged,” Karimi said.
She added that the high cost of treatment remains a major obstacle for many families. Karimi urged the Ministry of Health to strengthen the Social Health Authority (SHA) program to ensure full coverage for all types of cancer.
“Breast cancer treatment is extremely expensive. In just a few days of operation, we already have ten beneficiaries yet half of them haven’t started treatment. Some were diagnosed as early as February but couldn’t proceed due to the costs,” she noted.
Karimi also appealed to the government to establish a cancer treatment center in Malindi, which she said would serve patients from across the North Coast region, including Tana River and Lamu counties, saving them the high costs of traveling for care.
“I’m appealing to the Ministry of Health to set up a cancer center in Malindi to cushion patients from the financial strain of transportation,” she said.
One of the beneficiaries, Martha Chao, shared her struggle with breast cancer, describing the treatment journey as both painful and financially draining. She said each therapy session done every three weeks costs between Ksh 60,000 and Ksh 120,000, a price many cannot afford.
