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Leaders, survivors and experts in cancer management have called for a unified action in the fight against the disease.
Speaking during the National Cancer Summit, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi called on stakeholders to forge a united front to tackle the cancer burden.
Mudavadi said that Kenya is looking outward with a bold vision of becoming a regional hub for cancer treatment, training and innovation in Africa.
He announced that the country is positioning itself as a regional hub for cancer care with critical infrastructure already in key counties including Nairobi, Kiambu, Eldoret, Meru, Nakuru, Kisumu and Garissa.
The CS emphasized that the fight against cancer should not be left to the health sector alone but should involve all sectors working together to strengthen health systems and support patients across the country.
“If we are to meaningfully address cancer, then all sectors not just the health sector must come on board,” he said.
Key speakers at the summit included Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, who described cancer as a national emergency and outlined government interventions for saving lives. Duale noted that more than 120 Kenyans are diagnosed daily with cancer, with over 29,0000 lives lost annually.
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He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding cancer care.
The CS revealed that more than 24.9 million Kenyans are now enrolled under the Social Health Authority (SHA), which covers up to Sh550,000 annually for cancer treatment.
He said that the Ministry of Health unveiled plans to decentralise services nationwide and a Roche-enabled MoU that slashes treatment costs from Sh120,000 to 40,000 per session fully covered by SHA with no patient co-pay.
The CS urged county governments to prioritise the fight against cancer in their budgets and stressed the need for early detection, given that over 70 per cent of cancer cases in the country are diagnosed late.
He urged Kenyans to break stigma, promote timely care and normalise cancer conversations.
The summit, which started on Sunday and ended on Wednesday, brought together key stakeholders to explore collaborative solutions in the fight against cancer under the theme “uniting our voices and taking action.”
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