The Cabinet has approved six universities to offer research on treatments for various diseases that have been a concern in the country, including malaria.
The six include Kisii University, Egerton, Maseno, Masinde Muliro, Kibabii and Bomet University College.
The Cabinet chaired by President William Ruto noted that the move will help the Western Lake and South Rift Regions of Kenya to realize high-quality healthcare services.
The areas of interest as per the dispatch from the Cabinet include research in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), respiratory diseases, sickle cell, malaria, HIV, mental health, and cancer care.
“In addressing the health of the nation as part of Administration’s Universal Health Coverage plan, Cabinet approved the development of centres of excellence for health education and training seeking to improve cancer care in Kenya,” the dispatch says.
There will also be an exchange of healthcare workers between Kenya and the United Kingdom under the Kenya UK Health Alliance (KUKHA) framework.
This comes amid concern that approximately 70 per cent of cases in the country are diagnosed in advanced stages when a cure is almost impossible.
According to the ministry, cancer remains a major public health concern in the country and is the third leading cause of death in Kenya.
In 2020, the country reported 42,000 new cancer cases and 27,000 cancer-related deaths.
The top five cancers according to the ministry include breast, cervix, prostate, oesophagus and non-Hodgkins lymphoma and account for nearly half (48 per cent) of the cancer burden in the country.
