New report lists top causes of death in Kenya over five years - Pneumonia and cancer top the list!



Thursday, July 3, 2025 - A new report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) has revealed that pneumonia, cancer, and cardiac arrest were the leading causes of death among Kenyans in the last five years.

The findings are detailed in the latest Kenya Vital Statistics Report, which analyzed registered deaths in health facilities across the country.

In 2020, cardiac arrest was the top killer with 9,332 deaths, followed closely by pneumonia (9,061) and cancer (6,078).

However, from 2021 to 2024, pneumonia emerged as the most common cause of death, averaging over 11,000 cases annually and peaking in 2021 with 15,468 deaths.

Cancer rose to the second spot in subsequent years, while cardiac arrests ranked third.

Kidney-related deaths also saw a significant rise - from 2,585 in 2020 to 4,247 in 2023 - amid concerns about the Social Health Authority (SHA) program’s limited support for kidney patients.

In 2024, other major causes of death included cardiovascular diseases (7,478), hypertension (5,035), anaemia (4,572), injuries (4,574), and diabetes (3,822).

Among females, cancer was the leading cause of death in 2024 (4,498 deaths), while pneumonia and cancer remained dominant among males in both 2023 and 2024.

For children under five, prematurity and birth asphyxia consistently led as the top causes of death.

In the 5–14 age group, pneumonia was the leading cause between 2020 and 2023, with anaemia taking the top spot in 2024.

The Kenyan DAILY POST 

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