The Ministry of Health has proposed nine actions to make cancer treatment in the country more accessible and affordable.
Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha stated in her submissions to the Senate Health Committee that cancer is the third leading cause of death in the country after infectious and cardiovascular diseases, with 42,000 cases and 27,000 deaths each year.
“Although the criteria for national disaster declaration may be based on the magnitude of the problem, public safety or health concerns, and financial implications, the current prevalence is within the regional and global range,” she said.
Nakhumicha outlined nine steps the government has taken to address the cancer burden.
They include:
1. Budgetary allocation in the 2023/24 financial year for the establishment of Kisii Cancer Centre (Sh50 million with donor funding of Sh1.8 billion), regional cancer centres (Sh155 million) and National Cancer Institute (Sh200 million).
2. Launch of the third National Cancer Control Strategic Plan 2023-2027 to guide health sector response
3. Capacity build of 563 community health promoters on screening, awareness and referrals in 14 counties
4. Revision of NHIF Oncology Package to comprehensively cover cancer care and treatment
5. Decentralisation of cancer care and treatment to reduce costs
6. Conditional grant for a monthly supply of 23 basic/essential free cancer medicines at public cancer centres
7. Provision of certain medicines such as Glivec for free for those with NHOF cards
8. Establishment of a national cancer reference laboratory to scale up diagnosis
9. Public-Private Partnerships for the provision of cancer services at subsidised prices
Nakhumicha also stated that governors in the ten counties where regional cancer centres have been established have provided the necessary human resources to make them operational.
Meru, Embu, Nyeri, Nakuru, Mombasa, Garissa, Kisumu, Kakamega, Bomet, and Machakos are the ten counties.
The CS stated that her ministry is working with implementing partners at the county level to improve cancer screening and early detection.
