By Dorothy Musyoka
The Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Dr. Ouma Oluga, has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to strengthening cancer care in Kenya, emphasizing the need for improved patient experience and better treatment outcomes across the health system.
Speaking during the 2nd Artificial Intelligence in Health Workshop at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), held to mark World Cancer Day, Dr. Oluga said the fight against cancer must be anchored on a people-centred approach supported by innovation, research, training and strengthened clinical pathways.
“We have been given a duty to do only two things to make the experiences of our patients better and to improve outcomes,” he said.
Dr. Oluga noted that World Cancer Day provides an important opportunity to renew national focus on cancer prevention, early detection and improved care, while also honouring the lives lost to the disease.
He highlighted cancer as a growing global and national health challenge, with Kenya experiencing a rising burden due to increased life expectancy and the shift from communicable to non-communicable diseases.
He expressed concern over late diagnosis, revealing that many patients take up to five months to receive a confirmed cancer diagnosis.
He attributed this delay to cancer symptoms that often mimic other common illnesses and missed opportunities for early detection at frontline health facilities.
“From every single dispensary, any health professional engaging with a patient must maintain a high index of suspicion,” he said.
The Principal Secretary cited progress made under the Government’s medical equipment programme, noting that 84 public hospitals have been equipped with mammography machines to enhance breast cancer screening.
He called for strengthened national efforts to improve cancer prevention, early detection, and timely treatment, noting that improving service delivery across all levels of the health system is critical to reducing the cancer burden and improving survival outcomes for patients.