• The cover will be open to individuals and corporate entities.
•It aims at providing a financial cushion to patients and their families.
Image: MAGDALINE SAYA
A medical insurance provider has introduced a critical illness cover in response to the growing prevalence of cancer in the country.
The cover by the UAP Old Mutual Group will be open to individuals and corporate entities.
It aims at providing a financial cushion to patients in the event of the occurrence of 14 critical illnesses, among them cancer.
“The reality of the high cost of treatment causes untold worry, which is compounded by the fact that the standard medical insurance schemes do not fully cover for treatment of such conditions,” Jerim Otieno, Group MD Life said.
“We seek to give peace of mind on this front, so a patient can focus on their health,” he said.
UAP Old Mutual has also partnered with the Estée Lauder Companies to raise awareness on breast cancer this month.
During the entire month, the UAP Old Mutual Tower will light up in pink in awareness creation for cancer.
The Tower joins other landmark buildings and monuments around the world such as the Empire State Building in New York City, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Tel Aviv Ferris Wheel in Israel in lighting the skyline pink.
The campaign will culminate with a fundraiser on October 26, dubbed the ‘Power of Pink Luncheon’ which will raise funds towards fighting the menace.
Kenya Network of Cancer Organisations chairman David Makumi said continuous training and sensitisation of healthcare workers in all cadres on cancer signs or symptoms greatly contribute to early detection of the disease.
“We emphasise early diagnosis as this boosts treatment outcomes and survival chances of patients,” Makumi said.
A study by the American Society of Clinical Oncology in June found that breast cancer is still among the most commonly diagnosed in Kenya despite significant efforts to detect, manage and treat it.
Statistics from the World Health Organization shows that breast cancer is the leading type of cancer diagnosed in Kenya.
Out of the approximately 6,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer each year, about half 2,553 will die of it.
Studies indicate that a patient’s chance of survival can be impacted by delays in diagnosis and treatment, limitations in access to appropriate and quality cancer care, and financial burdens associated with receiving care.
Estée Lauder began raising funds to fight breast cancer in 1992, when the late Evelyn H. Lauder, a former Senior Vice President of Estée Lauder, co-created the iconic pink ribbon and started the Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign.
It set in motion a long-term movement which aims to “inspire the millions of people touched every year by breast cancer”.
The campaign has raised more than $76 million globally, funding 250 medical research grants through Breast Cancer Research Foundation and is active in more than 70 countries around the world.
(edited by O. Owino)