This archive report was first published on 26 August 2019.
Published on August 26, 2019, by LISA MUGUNDA, a graphic designer at Nation Media Group.
Kenya is gripped by fear as cancer cases rise exponentially. Everywhere you go, the talk is about this monster killer that drains your body and finances before killing you.
It's an epidemic that has created fear and helplessness in Kenyans and across the world. People are questioning their lifestyles and whether they are inviting the scourge unknowingly.
From the association of cancer with smoking and drinking to the current paranoia about chemicals in food, the situation has changed dramatically.
Meat that flies hover around is now considered better than 'clean' supermarket beef, while spotted ripe bananas are seen as healthier than the 'perfect' ones. Vegetables like spinach that look too green are avoided lest they were sprayed with poisonous substances.
Even walking in the sun after 10 am or before 4 pm is considered dangerous, and a headache lasting two or more days is a cause for concern.
With cancer killing millions fast, the poor are affected first, but the rich eventually succumb to it as well. Some people are even wishing they would rather contract HIV than cancer!
While lifestyles have changed and diets are improving, the question remains: why was cancer so rare a few decades back?
Maybe it's because people did things the long way, planting their food and harvesting it at the right time, without interfering with the natural process.
Instead of living in fear, we should turn this fear into rage that can move this problem around. There is much we can do as individuals to stop cancer, and the first place to look into is our diet, as we are what we eat.
