This archive report was first published on 6 August 2019.
Rising Cancer Cases in Kenya Linked to Aflatoxin-Contaminated Maize ¶
According to the National Cancer Institute, Kenya records 47,887 new cancer cases and 32,987 deaths annually. This alarming trend has been linked to the consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated maize.
As far back as 2010, the late Sammy Kioko Mangéli, then Managing Director of the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), warned of a possible rise in cancer cases due to the consumption of maize flour with high levels of aflatoxin. In an unearthed video, he stated, 'I'm more than 100 per cent sure it (aflatoxin) affects people and that within the next 10 to 15 years we will have serious cases of cancer based on this maize.'
Research conducted in Makueni and Nandi counties in 2017 found that 79% and 83% of children under the age of five years tested positive to aflatoxin from consumption of maize in the form of maize flour. Aflatoxin poisoning causes acute and chronic health and production effects in human beings and animals respectively.
Tragically, a 40-year-old woman from Naivasha took her own life after being diagnosed with breast cancer. The woman, identified as Purity Muthoni, had been undergoing treatment in various hospitals after developing a growth on one breast. Her body was taken to Naivasha Mortuary after her sister reported the incident.
Isn't it convenient to have Kenya's latest breaking news at your fingertips? That's right, at kenyanreport.com, you'll find good informative blogs and articles on various headlines.
