Maseno University has launched a cancer research centre at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) in Kisumu at a time many Kenyans were seeking specialised care outside the country.
The Western Kenya Cancer Care and Research Center (WKCCRC) launched on November 10 is expected to conduct cutting-edge research on cancer and its treatment. The Sh70.2 million testing and training centre funded by the National Research Fund will provide diagnostic, curative, and patient care and support for cancer and other diseases like Covid-19. It will also offer DNA testing.
While launching the centre, University Education and Research Principal Secretary (PS) Simon Nabukwesi said the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases worldwide, mostly in low and middle-income countries, and related deaths were a growing threat to sustainable development.
“The enormous economic impact of premature mortality and lost productive life years highlight the critical importance of galvanising cancer prevention, management, and research so as to lower cancer-related disparities,” Mr Nabukwesi said.
According to Globocan 2020, an online database providing global cancer statistics, Kenya has approximately 42,000 new cancer cases and 27,000 deaths every year. A 2015-2020 Ministry of Health report on medical tourism says 97 percent of Kenyans with advanced cancers go to India for cancer treatment.
Since 2017 the government has been firing on all cylinders to come up with robust and responsive infrastructure for specialised cancer care and top-rated research by encouraging training institutes to grow their research influence.
NRF board of trustees chairperson Ratemo Michieka asked the Treasury to increase research funding and told universities to explore the direction of bilateral and multilateral funding to beef up government funding.
“The demand for quality services from the government agencies by citizens continues to escalate considering changing technology and increased access to information and knowledge by citizens,” said Prof Michieka.
Kenya’s National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (Nacosti) has said in the past that a number of countries spend less than one percent of their gross domestic product (GDP on research and development. Kenya’s stood at 0.69 percent in June against Israel’s– one of the best in the world– at 5.44 percent.
Among others, JOOTRH chief executive George Rae, his NRF counterpart Dickson Andala, Maseno University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Erick Nyambedha and the institution’s research and innovations director Collins Ouma attended the launch.
