Digital tracking and early screening key to tackling Kenya's cancer burden

Johannesburg
Thandoluhle Ngcobo

Thandoluhle Ngcobo

16 March 2026 | 11:15

80 people die from the disease daily, meaning three Kenyans lose their lives to cancer every hour.

Digital tracking and early screening key to tackling Kenya's cancer burden

The Maternity Wing at the Mbagathi County Hospital in Kenya Nairobi. Picture: Thandoluhle Ngcobo/EWN

Every single day in Kenya, 122 people receive a cancer diagnosis. According to Emily Dasito, an epidemiologist and Head of Strategy at the National Cancer Institute of Kenya (NCI-K), this translates to five new cases every hour.
The mortality rate is equally staggering. 80 people die from the disease daily, meaning three Kenyans lose their lives to cancer every hour.
Nairobi is currently the epicenter of Kenya's cancer crisis, accounting for 13 percent of all reported cases nationwide. As the country's primary medical hub, the city's health system is under immense pressure, absorbing patients from as far as Nyandarua and Siaya who travel hundreds of kilometers for a single diagnostic test.
Speaking during a session at Mbagathi Hospital, Dasito made it clear that these aren't just statistics, they are a systemic failure of timing.
The crisis in Kenya is defined by "Stage 3 and Stage 4" arrivals. Dasito noted that the majority of patients only enter the healthcare system when the disease has already progressed to its most aggressive levels, where intervention options are narrow and health outcomes are poor.
"If we only could catch this disease at Stage Zero - pre-cancerous - or Stage One," Dasito urged. "That is when we have more options and better health outcomes. But screening without intervention is a 'so what?' It is not enough to screen; we must link patients to care."
Emily Dasito, Epidemiologist and Head of Strategy at the National Cancer Institute of Kenya (NCI-K). Picture: Supplied/Roche Press

Emily Dasito, Epidemiologist and Head of Strategy at the National Cancer Institute of Kenya (NCI-K). Picture: Supplied/Roche Press

TREATMENT AND FOLLOW-UP
One of the most critical revelations from the NCI-K is that late diagnosis is often caused by a lack of follow-up.
Patients frequently present early at local clinics, but because of poor paper-based tracking, they get lost in the system and only resurface years later when the cancer is terminal.
To end this cycle, the NCI-K is rolling out the EMPOWER digital platform to bridge the gap between screening and treatment.
Linked to the National Cancer Registry (NaCaRe), the platform allows the NCI-K to visualize screenings in real-time. Whether a woman is screened in Nairobi or the remote reaches of Turkana, her data is immediately visible to health authorities.
The system also serves as a digital navigator, tracking the time it takes for a patient to progress from a suspicious screen to an actual diagnosis and treatment.
Data from the platform is now driving national policy and resource allocation, ensuring that money follows the actual disease burden.
A central goal of the National Cancer Control Strategy is to ensure that a patient’s survival isn't determined by where they live.
Dasito highlighted that the "Big Five" cancers - breast, cervical, prostate, esophagus, and colorectal, must be screened for at every level, from rural dispensaries to urban hubs.
By deploying Community Health Promoters to far-flung areas like Isiolo and Turkana, the Institute is feeding real-time data back to Nairobi.
This ensures that even in the most hard-to-reach areas, screening is integrated into primary healthcare.
"We are working towards a Kenya where the outcome for a cancer patient is not determined by geography," Dasito concluded.
The aim is for the EMPOWER platform to eventually sit in all 47 counties, turning a cancer diagnosis from a death sentence into an opportunity for survivorship.
Abigail Owila, nursing officer and the in charge of the Maternal and Child Health of Mbagathi District Hospital and staff. Picture: Supplied/Roche Press

Abigail Owila, nursing officer and the in charge of the Maternal and Child Health of Mbagathi District Hospital and staff. Picture: Supplied/Roche Press

BRIDGING THE DISTANCE GAP
Dr. Kibe highlighted several key pillars of this "on-the-ground" work, which include Massive Training, stating that over 500 healthcare workers have been trained specifically in screening methodologies for both breast and cervical cancer.
Equipment Distribution: Specialist tech is no longer confined to major hospitals. The county has provided portable colposcopy equipment, 14 cryotherapy units, and thermal ablation machines to primary healthcare facilities.
And the HPV Offensive: A free immunization program for HPV is now being taken directly into schools through community outreaches to protect young girls before they are ever at risk.
"Our target population is the most vulnerable, especially in informal settlements," said Dr. Kibe.
The county is now also in the process of establishing a dedicated Cancer Diagnostic Center for Nairobi to minimize the travel gap that often forces the poor to abandon treatment.
Dr. Victor Kibe, head of the Division of NCDs for Nairobi County, Picture: Supplied/ Roche press

Dr. Victor Kibe, head of the Division of NCDs for Nairobi County, Picture: Supplied/ Roche press

Mbagathi County Hospital. Picture: Thandoluhle Ngcobo/EWN

Mbagathi County Hospital. Picture: Thandoluhle Ngcobo/EWN

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