Pneumonia still top killer among Kenyan men as cancer rates surge - report
Among women, cancer was the top killer, claiming 4,498 lives in 2024, up from 3,940 in 2023.
Pneumonia has remained the leading cause of death among men in Kenya, even as cancer continues to rise sharply among both men and women, the latest Kenya Vital Statistics Report has revealed.
According to the 2024 report released on Wednesday by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, pneumonia led to the deaths of 5,244 men in 2024, a slight drop from 5,404 in 2023.
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Cancer came in second among men, with fatalities rising to 4,456 from 3,758 the previous year.
Among women, cancer was the top killer, claiming 4,498 lives in 2024, up from 3,940 in 2023.
Pneumonia was the second highest cause of death in women but showed a slight decline, with 4,438 deaths recorded in 2024 compared to 4,562 in 2023.
Overall, pneumonia, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases remained the top three causes of health facility deaths in both 2023 and 2024.
Pneumonia accounted for 9,682 deaths, followed by cancer with 8,954 deaths and cardiovascular diseases with 7,478.
Other causes in the top 10 included hypertension (5,035), injuries (4,574), anaemia (4,572), kidney diseases (4,247), prematurity and birth asphyxia (4,223), diabetes (3,822), and heart disease (3,730).
The report shows that pneumonia has consistently remained the top cause of death in health facilities since 2021.
Meanwhile, cancer has moved up in rank, rising from the fifth position in 2021 to fourth in 2022, and then to second place in 2023 and 2024.
In 2024, a total of 206,417 deaths were registered. Out of these, 54.9 per cent were certified by medical practitioners, while 45.1 per cent were classified as community deaths.
Among community deaths, sudden death, pneumonia, and cancer continued to be the leading causes in both 2023 and 2024.
The report also noted a general decrease in the number of hospital-registered deaths linked to asthma, malaria, pneumonia, road accidents, and tuberculosis between 2023 and 2024.
The Kenya Vital Statistics Report provides comprehensive data on births, deaths, marriages, and adoptions. This data is crucial for tracking population trends, evaluating health and social programs, and guiding national planning and policy decisions.
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