A new health study drawn from five years of hands-on work at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has unveiled a non-pharmacological approach to help cancer patients recover without taking additional medication.
Traditionally, healthcare systems have largely relied on pharmacological solutions to manage side effects arising from cancer treatment, often prescribing more drugs to address pain, nausea, and depression caused by the primary therapy.
However, according to a new study based on a culturally responsive framework dubbed The Holistic-Centred Oncology Occupational Therapy Model, also referred to as Tiba Kwa Njia Ya Vitendo in Swahili, recovery can be significantly improved through structured physical and occupational activities. By integrating physical activity into cancer care, patients’ recovery is accelerated, thereby humanising healthcare practice.
As cancer diagnoses continue to rise across Africa, conventional interventions such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and radical surgery often leave survivors struggling with severe physical, cognitive, and psychosocial impairments. These adverse side effects frequently strip patients of their daily functioning, autonomy, and even dignity.
Clinical evidence gathered from applying this model at KNH presents a transformative picture of patient recovery: 85 per cent of cancer patients successfully achieved functional independence and enhanced self-care, reclaiming control over daily routines, while 70 per cent of caregivers reported a significant reduction in physical and emotional burden after patients received training in adaptive strategies.
Recovering patients’ psychosocial well-being also improved markedly, as occupation-based creative therapies reduced secondary depression and anxiety associated with treatment, facilitating smoother reintegration into work and community life.
The primary objective of the study was to design, implement, and evaluate an evidence-based framework tailored specifically for African clinical settings, with the goal of providing a sustainable, non-pharmacological solution to support recovery after aggressive cancer treatment.
Mikie Baron, a clinical occupational therapist and brand ambassador for occupational therapy at KNH, described the Holistic-Centred Oncology Occupational Therapy Model as addressing systemic challenges by drawing on research by Hansen et al. on barriers to innovative occupational therapy practice in African tertiary hospitals, alongside a 2025 Cancers study on the use of movement therapy to improve emotional wellbeing.
Baron noted: “We need to humanise healthcare spaces,” highlighting the importance of supportive therapies that go beyond medical treatment to address the lived experience of patients. “Occupational therapy bridges the gap between pharmacological treatment and the practical reality of living with, and surviving, cancer.”
The framework is grounded in two established occupational therapy theories drawn from the American Journal of Occupational Therapy Practice Framework. It integrates the Model of Human Occupation, which focuses on rebuilding patients’ internal motivation and autonomy by reshaping their immediate environment, and the Person Environment Occupation Participation (PEOP) model, which adapts physical spaces to make daily tasks more manageable for individuals with reduced mobility.
Recognising that healing in Kenya rarely occurs in isolation, the framework is deeply rooted in the African philosophy of Ubuntu, the belief that “I am because we are”. Rather than isolating patients in clinical settings, the therapy integrates family members and community practices into the rehabilitation process. It also incorporates familiar cultural elements such as music and therapeutic dance, transforming rehabilitation into a more collective and uplifting experience.
The study concludes with a clear systemic call to action for Kenya’s healthcare infrastructure, arguing that reliance solely on pharmacological solutions to manage treatment side effects is no longer sufficient for comprehensive cancer care.
To bridge the gap between medical treatment and functional recovery, the study proposes a policy recommendation to the Ministry of Health to formally employ and deploy occupational therapists across all public oncology units. By doing so, Kenya could scale an affordable, culturally aligned model that protects not only survival, but also the everyday quality of life of cancer patients.
