AstraZeneca, partners launch cancer care programme in Kenya
From left: Dr Naphtali Busakhala (Chair, Kenya Society for Hematology and Oncology), Dr Pelin Incesu (Area Vice President for Middle East and Africa), David Fredrickson (Executive Vice President, Oncology Business Unit, AstraZeneca), Dr Khomotso Mashilane (Medical Director, African Cluster at AstraZeneca) and Deepak Arora (Country President, Africa Cluster, AstraZeneca), during the launch of Cancer Care Africa programme in Kenya
What you need to know:
- Programme seeks to improve cancer care for patients.
- The programme will also implement health awareness.
Cancer has become a major public health concern in Kenya and across Africa, with latest figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) showing that there were 44,726 cancer cases in Kenya in 2022.
The increasing number of patients diagnosed with cancer in Kenya and across Africa has necessitated a more collaborative approach, to improve patient outcomes and safeguard healthcare systems.
Towards this end, AstraZeneca, the Ministry of Health, the Kenya Society of Haematology and Oncology, Axios, the National Cancer Institute of Kenya among other partners, have collaboratively launched the Cancer Care Africa programme in Kenya.
Treatment and care
The programme, which was originally launched in November 2022 at COP27 in Egypt, seeks to improve cancer care for patients by equitably improving access and outcomes across the patient care pathway, from diagnosis all the way through to treatment.
"This initiative has the potential to significantly improve access to diagnosis, treatment and care, ultimately saving lives and improving the well-being of Kenyans impacted by this disease, as well as their families and communities," Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha said during the launch.
Despite recent increases in resources invested in cancer, several critical barriers still hinder progress including a lack of disease awareness, limited diagnostic capabilities, an absence of structured screening programmes, and challenges in accessing treatment.
Empower patients
"The Cancer Care Africa programme will support early detection, increase timely diagnosis and improve access to treatment options for patients across Kenya,” said Dave Fredrickson, Executive Vice-President, Oncology Business Unit, AstraZeneca.
The programme will also advocate for policy changes to enhance screening and diagnostics, implement health awareness and education programmes to empower patients, train physicians and healthcare workers to build their capacities, and enable access to cancer medicines.
“This will potentially help to improve outcomes for all individuals affected by the disease, irrespective of their demographic, geographic, or socio-economic status,” said Dr Elias Melly, CEO, National Cancer Institute of Kenya.
Cancer Care Africa has already donated ultrasound biopsy machines to seven hospitals across Kenya to enhance early prostate cancer diagnosis, as well as donated the country’s first biomarker testing machine for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations to Aga Khan University Hospital.
