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Women and girls across Kenya and Tanzania are set to benefit from a groundbreaking initiative aimed at increasing access to breast and cervical cancer screening, as well as life-saving vaccinations.
The East Africa Comprehensive Cancer Project, backed by a Sh27 billion partnership, brings together Aga Khan Health Services, the Aga Khan Foundation, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group, and the Gates Foundation. The goal is to combat rising cancer cases in the region and ensure that more women receive early diagnosis and treatment.
Cancer rates have been steadily increasing in both countries, with nearly 100,000 new cases and 60,000 deaths reported annually. Women bear the greatest burden, making up 61 percent of all cases. Breast and cervical cancer remain the leading causes of cancer-related deaths, underscoring the urgent need for improved screening and prevention.
As part of the initiative, at least 400,000 women will have access to breast and cervical cancer screenings. In addition, a large-scale Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign will be rolled out, targeting 200,000 nine-year-old girls annually in Tanzania and 600,000 girls aged 10 to 14 in Kenya.
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The HPV vaccine is a crucial tool in preventing cervical cancer, which continues to claim thousands of lives every year.
Dr. Zeenat Sulaiman Khan, Regional CEO of Aga Khan Health Services, East Africa, explained that the program will be implemented in six key regions in Tanzania—Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Dodoma, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, and Zanzibar—and in four counties in Kenya: Mombasa, Kisumu, Kilifi, and Homa Bay.
Over the next four years, the project aims to vaccinate 800,000 girls in Tanzania and 2.4 million in Kenya. This initiative is expected to significantly reduce the risk of cervical cancer for future generations and offer hope to millions of women and families across East Africa.
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