Kenya has secured lower-cost cancer medicines through an agreement between Pfizer and the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), potentially easing patients’ financial burden. 

President William Ruto announced the deal after meeting Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla at State House, Nairobi. It covers medicines for breast, stomach, colon, lung, prostate and oesophageal cancers, as well as leukaemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma. The agreement falls under Pfizer’s Accord for a Healthier World, which supplies medicines to lower-income countries on a not-for-profit basis. 

President Ruto said the reduced prices mean the Social Health Authority’s KSh800,000 cancer package can now fully cover treatment, eliminating the need for patients to top up. Kenya will also gain faster access to newer cancer therapies that previously could take up to 10 years to reach the country. 

The President said Pfizer would also make technologies and newer medicines available for pharmaceutical production in Africa, supporting efforts to expand local manufacturing of medical commodities. 

Cancer remains among Kenya’s leading causes of death, with high treatment costs pushing many families into debt or forcing patients to abandon care midway. 

(Source: Citizen)