Kenya calls for affordable cancer care across Africa as breast cancer survival rates lag

KENYA— Kenya’s Ministry of Health is urging African governments and healthcare partners to expand access to affordable cancer treatment as high diagnosis costs and late detection continue to undermine breast cancer outcomes across the continent.

Dr Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary for Medical Services, made the call as Breast Cancer Awareness Month ends in October, shifting attention to sustained investment in early diagnosis, treatment, and financial protection for patients.

Late diagnosis and poor survival rates

A 2026 review of more than 42,000 breast cancer patients across 28 sub-Saharan African countries found that 63% were diagnosed at an advanced stage.

New estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) also highlight disparities in survival, with median five-year breast cancer survival at 39.1% in the African Region, compared with 84% in Europe and 88.5% in the Americas.

Late diagnosis increases the complexity of treatment and can place additional pressure on healthcare systems, which must manage more advanced disease and the associated costs.

Expanding screening, diagnostic services and referral networks could help identify cases earlier and improve access to timely treatment.

High treatment costs burden households

Financial barriers remain another challenge for patients in Kenya.

A 2026 study at Kenyatta National Hospital found that the average cost associated with breast cancer care reached approximately KES 2.14 million(US$14,255 ).

Almost all patients relied on personal income or savings to finance treatment, while some sold assets or took out loans.

These costs highlight the need for stronger financial protection mechanisms and sustainable approaches to cancer care financing.

For healthcare providers, governments and pharmaceutical companies, improving affordability will require coordinated efforts to support access to essential medicines, diagnostic services and treatment facilities.

*“No woman should have to choose between treating breast cancer and protecting her family’s financial future. Government cannot solve this challenge alone,” *said Dr Oluga.

“We need the public and private sectors working together so women can be diagnosed earlier and have access to the medicines and care they need, at a cost families and our health system can sustain.”

Public-private partnerships expand access

One initiative addressing medicine affordability is Accord for a Healthier World, which works with governments, including those of Kenya, Rwanda and Ghana, to expand access to medicines at not-for-profit prices and strengthen cancer care.

Such partnerships provide a framework for collaboration between governments and the pharmaceutical industry to address treatment affordability and healthcare delivery challenges.

Their implementation depends on effective procurement, reliable medicine supply chains and health systems capable of diagnosing patients and delivering treatment.

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