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Pact gives breast cancer warriors lease of life

Tuesday, June 21st, 2022 01:20 | By
Health PS Susan Mochache (left) at the signing of the breast cancer pact. PD/Gerald Ithana
Health PS Susan Mochache (left) at the signing of the breast cancer pact. PD/Gerald Ithana

Breast cancer medicine will soon be more available, thanks to an agreement the government has entered into with a drug manufacturer, reducing the cost of treatment.

This comes as data from Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) show that six out of every 19 patients seeking cancer treatment at the facility test positive for breast cancer.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Health facilitated a new pact between the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and Roche Kenya Ltd to provide Herceptin subcutaneous injections to treat breast cancer. The drug will be available to breast cancer patients who are members of the Fund at subsidised rates.

The signing of the pact paves the way for the arrival of the drug in the next month. Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache said the drug will cost Sh15,000 less than the actual cost, lowering the financial burden on patients.

“The average cost for breast cancer treatment is about Sh30,000. We are talking about a reduction of 50 per cent, and this fits in very well with the basket of what NHIF is able to refund,” she said.

Mochache said some of the new cancer drugs in the market are cutting edge, but out of reach of the majority of Kenyans. “But these drugs, especially for cancer, are safer and more effective, targeting tumors more sharply than the ordinary drugs,” she added.

Good foundation

Dr Peter Kamunyo, the chief executive officer of NHIF, said the pact builds on the foundation laid through the 14 EMPOWER Clinics (Enabling and Motivating Partnership Owned by Women to Engage and Reclaim their Lives) in different counties.

“Access to treatment is a key component of UHC; so signing this pact is an important step forward for both women with breast cancer and all citizens in Kenya generally,” he said.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Kenya, with 6,000 cases each year and 2,500 breast cancer-related deaths. The economic burden of breast cancer is substantial and reflects health care spending as well as lost productivity due to morbidity and death.

But early detection combined with effective treatment through surgical removal, radiation therapy or medication therapy (hormonal, chemical or biological therapies) can achieve survival probabilities of 90 per cent or higher.

Herceptin is a humanised monoclonal antibody designed to target and block the function of the HER2 receptor, a protein found on the outside of many normal cells and, in high quantities, on the outside of cancer cells in HER2-positive cancers.

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