Medics are optimistic in the fight against cancer as more Kenyans are going for early testing. The increase in awareness comes even as more deaths are reported from the disease yearly and as the country marked World Cancer Day on February 4, 2026.
According to Dr Gladwell Gatheca, head of Cancer and Non-communicable Diseases Division in the Ministry of Health, out of 45,000 new cases recorded each year, about 29,000 cancer-related deaths are reported over the same period, making the disease the second-highest killer after pneumonia.
However, the official notes that some milestones have been achieved through government awareness campaigns and other interventions, resulting in positive progress in controlling some cancers.
‘The government, together with stakeholders, is implementing some interventions that are seen as renewed milestones towards preventing this disease, which is much preventable and treatable, in the lives of Kenyans,” she said.
Dr Gatheca added, “As a ministry, we’ve been able to decentralise the care for cancer to regional centres as opposed to the last, where treatment was only available in Nairobi and MTRH in Eldoret. We now have regional cancer centres in Garissa, Nakuru and Mombasa. This means that patients don’t have to travel far to get the much-needed treatment.”
Dr Gatheca also observed that HPV vaccination of girls against cancer has risen from 35 percent to about 62 percent as a result of these interventions.
She spoke during the commemoration of World Cancer Day at Kenyatta University Teaching Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH), which was marked by a walk and interaction with members of the local community.
She also reiterated that the Ministry is also augmenting awareness campaigns across the country to rally Kenyans to go for early screening to scale down cases of the scourge and enable patients get early treatment. “We have also empowered our community health promoters to ensure that they know what messages to impart to Kenyans,” she said.
Dr Gatheca noted that the Government, in a bid to reduce the financial burden of treating and managing the disease, has ensured that the treatment is covered by the Social Health Authority (SHA) insurance that is affordable to most Kenyans.
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“Cancer is a very expensive disease to treat, and that’s why through SHA we have ensured that the coverage for cancer treatment has been gradually increased to ensure that the patient does not suffer catastrophic health expenditure,” she said.
The head of Oncology at KUTRRH, Dr Abeid Athman (pictured below), notes that many Kenyans go for diagnosis in the late stages of the disease, making survival difficult and treatment very costly.
Still, the medic noted that lately, more Kenyans are being diagnosed with stages 1 and 2 cancer as a result of more people embracing the need for early testing. He noted that most types of cancer that patients present with include breast, prostate, oesophageal, and colorectal cancers.
He also averred that significant investments have been made in cancer treatment, including the procurement and adoption of the latest technologies, to decrease outbound medical tourism and increase inbound medical tourism.
“We are now using Nuclear medicine in the treatment of cancer, PET scan services are available at KUTRRH, and this has brought the much-needed services closer to Kenyans, unlike before, where patients had to be flown abroad for specialised care,” Dr Athman said.
Other modern technologies used in cancer treatment at KUTRRH include the CyberKnife, a significant advancement in radiation therapy that offers precise and effective treatment options for a wide range of medical conditions, especially cancer, while minimising side effects and improving the overall patient experience.
It is commonly used to treat cancerous tumours, including Prostate Cancer, Lung Cancer, brain Tumours, Spine Tumours, Liver Cancer, among others.
Dr Caroline Ngugi, the Director of Training, Research, and Partnership at KUTRRH, appealed to Kenyans to turn up for testing at the hospital, where the service is free.
By John Kamau
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