The Government is seeking to strengthen cancer prevention, early detection and access to quality treatment through a proposed partnership with global pharmaceutical company Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD), as Kenya records about 44,000 new cancer cases each year.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Monday held high-level talks with MSD executives led by the company’s Business Unit Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, Andrie Vorster, to explore areas of collaboration aimed at improving cancer care across the country.
The discussions focused on practical interventions spanning the entire cancer care continuum, including prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and long-term patient support.
According to the Ministry of Health, the partnership would leverage public-private collaboration to expand access to affordable and innovative cancer services while strengthening Kenya’s healthcare system.
Among the key proposals discussed was scaling up cervical cancer prevention through wider Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, increased public awareness campaigns and enhanced community outreach programmes.
The two sides also explored expanding mobile cancer screening and diagnostic services to improve early detection, particularly in underserved areas, while strengthening local research, building the capacity of healthcare workers and promoting technology transfer.
The meeting further examined sustainable ways of increasing access to advanced cancer medicines, including pembrolizumab (Keytruda), within Kenya’s public healthcare system.
Duale said the discussions were in line with the government’s Universal Health Coverage agenda under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda and ongoing reforms aimed at making cancer care more affordable through the Social Health Authority (SHA).
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reducing financial barriers that prevent patients from accessing timely diagnosis and treatment.
The Cabinet Secretary noted that Kenya continues to implement the World Health Organization’s 90-70-90 strategy, which seeks to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem through widespread HPV vaccination, cervical screening and treatment of precancerous lesions.
Both the Ministry of Health and MSD agreed to continue discussions on strategic investment, innovation and technical cooperation to strengthen Kenya’s cancer care system and improve access to prevention, early diagnosis and quality treatment.
The meeting was attended by Director of Health Sector Coordination Dr. Omar Albush, National Cancer Institute of Kenya Chief Executive Officer Dr. Elias Melly, Head of the National Cancer Control Programme Dr. Joan-Paula Bor, and Dr. Wesley Mugambi of the National Immunization Programme.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
