What Kenya can do to ease cancer burden

Newly commissioned Regional cancer centre at Rift Valley provincial general Hospital in Nakuru on June 6, 2022. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

The world aims to cut premature mortality from all non-communicable diseases by 25 per cent by the year 2025. This “25 by 25” stretch target emphasizes the necessity of tackling cancer, which kills an estimated 10 million people annually.

However, for many patients globally, access to high-quality healthcare remains a dream, worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic. The IQVIA Institute’s Global Oncology Trends 2021 report says that oncologists in many countries reported caseloads of 26 to 51 per cent lower than pre-pandemic levels, despite a marked shift to remote consultations.