Cancer remains a major public health challenge in Kenya, with over 40,000 new cases and 27,000 deaths annually, making it the third leading cause of mortality. The Kitui Cancer Centre at Kitui County Referral Hospital, opened in December 2023, currently provides cancer screening, chemotherapy, histopathology, palliative care, and related support services. However, the centre faces significant constraints, including limited diagnostic capacity, absence of radiotherapy services, and restricted chemotherapy capacity (only six patients at a time). This results in long waiting periods, patient referrals to Nairobi, higher costs, and delayed care that worsen treatment outcomes. The project proposes an upgrade of the existing Kitui Cancer Centre into a Comprehensive Cancer Unit, with expanded services covering prevention, early detection, diagnostics, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, rehabilitation, palliative care, and cancer research. The facility will be equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic and radiotherapy equipment, including advanced radiation systems, to reduce patient referrals and provide high-quality, affordable cancer care within the county. The total investment required is USD 3.99 million, with funds allocated to infrastructure expansion, procurement of advanced equipment, staffing, and integration of modern cancer care technologies.

Health

Infrastructure

Public Private Partnership

3990000

USD

Startup

1.Policy and regulatory support under Kenya’s National Cancer Control Strategy 2.Land and infrastructure facilitation within the county referral hospital 3.Integration into universal healthcare (UHC) programs and county health budgets

Kitui