First Lady seeks partnership to boost fight against cancer in Kenya

The First Lady, Mama Rachel Ruto, has urged Johns Hopkins University to partner with Kenyan health institutions to boost the fight against cancer.

The First Lady was speaking at the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Centre, where she met with experts to learn about their community-based efforts to promote cancer screening and help navigate patients through their cancer journey.

Cancer, one of the leading non-communicable diseases worldwide, is a pressing concern for every country.

Cervical and breast cancers, which are reproductive cancers affecting women, contribute to 23pc of all cancer-related deaths in the country.

Women in low-income areas, as well as in arid and semi-arid regions, face additional challenges in accessing critical testing and screening services.

Mama Rachel Ruto appreciated ongoing support to improve access to cancer treatment in Kenya, including the donation of two radiotherapy machines through the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Rays of Hope Project.

A partnership with the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Centre would increase access to screening services and improve the quality of life of cancer patients in Kenya through evidence-based strategies for prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care.