SPEECH BY HER EXCELLENCY MARGARET KENYATTA

FIRST LADY OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA DURING

THE INAUGURATION OF THE PARTNERSHIP TO
IMPROVE BREAST CANCER MANAGEMENT IN KENYA
AT THE KENYATTA NATIONAL HOSPITAL GROUNDS
ON 9TH AUGUST 2016.
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good afternoon,
It is a pleasure to be with you all. I am honored to be
officiating a partnership, which is a true example of publicprivate collaboration that is destined to have a
tremendous impact on men and women across the
country.
In Kenya today, cancer ranks third as a cause of death
after infectious and cardiovascular diseases; accounting
for 7% of total national deaths every year.
Over the past year while serving as the Chairperson of the
Stop Cervical Breast and Prostate Cancer in Africa (SCCA),
I have been made more aware of how breast cancer is
more clinically aggressive in young African women-over
50% of women with breast cancer are under 50 years.
The testimonies we have heard today are true evidence of
how today, breast cancer has become a rapid and ruthless
killer not just of Kenyans, but of Africans across the
continent. As we speak, breast cancer is the second most
common cancer among women with an estimated 4000
new cases and close to 2000 deaths annually. In addition,
it is important to note that breast cancer also afflicts men,
many of who have also died of this disease.
As a country, we know how critical partnerships like this
are because we have borne our share of sorrow over the
loss of citizens to cancer.
We have mourned over countless mothers who have
succumbed to the cruelty of breast cancer. We have wept
for the children that they leave behind. And because many

cancer victims are diagnosed when the disease has

already reached a very advanced stage, we have shared in
the stinging grief of knowing that if more people had
access to diagnostic testing and affordable treatment, we
would not lose as many people as we do today.
These is why as leaders we must add our voices, and
remain committed to supporting programs that expand
access to prevention, treatment and palliative services for
people with cancer. It is why as African First Ladies, we
came together to partner towards expanding access to
prevention and treatment services for women and men
with breast cancer. We all have to do our part, we all have
to work hard to participate in guarding our own and each
others well-being.
The Kenya Government recently launched the National
Strategy for the Prevention and Control of NonCommunicable Diseases that presents a comprehensive
approach to battling the disease. It for this reason that we
value this model that Roche has chosen to partner with a
Hospital that is so strategically positioned to support the
health and healing of women not just in Kenya, but across
the East African region.
Even with limited equipment and human resource,
Kenyatta National Hospital has for a long time offered
cancer treatment and management in the country and
attracted patients from beyond our borders.
I want to thank Roche for the support they will be
providing under this agreement. The activities under the
Agreement will help address constraints within the health
system that prevent appropriate support to cancer
patients including: scholarships to train medical
oncologists and oncology nurses and opportunities for
medical practitioners in Kenya to access information that
will be critical to empowering them with knowledge of
best-practice.
We are deeply grateful for these initiatives. Through
Roches gracious investment in the breast cancer
diagnostic machine, I trust that the Hospital will continue

to expand its reach and offer better services, more

efficiently and to more people.

Indeed, I am confident that with sustained investment

from numerous stakeholders, including our Ministry of
Health, Kenyatta National Hospital can one day become a
regional leader in cancer treatment and management.
I look forward to seeing this vision become a reality.
It is now my pleasure to officially hand over the Ventana
Breast Cancer diagnostic machine to Kenyatta National
Hospital.
Thank you and God Bless you all.