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Roselyne Okumu: Nairobi County – Rewriting the Cancer Care Agenda

Roselyne Okumu/LinkedIn

Jul 8, 2025, 17:38

Roselyne Okumu: Nairobi County – Rewriting the Cancer Care Agenda

Roselyne Okumu, University Lecturer at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“Nairobi County: Rewriting the Cancer Care Agenda.

A Bottom-Up Approach Led by C/Can.

I am always delighted to say that C/Can’s presence in Nairobi County is timely. We have made significant progress from the initial city application assessment to our inclusion in the C/Can agenda. Since 2019 while I was working at Kenyatta National Hospital. I’m proud that we are now at the implementation phase of 11 city prioritized projects, determined by the needs of patients and guided by a dedicated multidisciplinary team of experts.

As a member of the County Executive Committee and the Technical Working Group since inception, I had the honor of presenting on behalf of my team regarding the Quality of Care (QOC) program area. The QOC project is essential as it will lead to standardized policies and guidelines for MDT professionals and provide clear framework for collaboration. This initiative will also improve referral and treatment pathways, strengthening patient navigation across the continuum of care to reduce waiting times for essential cancer management.

During the project launch session, speeches were delivered by City Manager Beatrice Okumu, who highlighted C/Can’s impact and called for more collaborations. Global CEO Isabel Mestres echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the C/Can initiative is a result of UICC’s determination to support countries in low- and middle-income contexts.

By enabling cities to own the processes and develop localized solutions, we are creating a model that fosters accountability and implementation through a multisectoral approach.

I am grateful for the contributions of the multidisciplinary groups that have been committed to this endeavor, especially my colleagues from Oncology Nurses Society who are represented at various project levels. The commitment shown by Dr. Elias Melly, CEO-NCI-K and Joan-Paula Bor Malenya, Head -NCCP as well as Nairobi City County, CEC Health, Madam Silantoi, further underscores collective dedication to the success

As was echoed by the DG health representative, Nairobi is indeed a gateway to the country. Through national leadership and stakeholder support, we will achieve even more. It’s also encouraging to see patient advocacy groups like KENCO, hospitals, and academic institutions actively participating.

JKUAT College of Health Sciences was represented by Wairimu Ndegwa and myself, and we will strive to create solutions that address our community’s needs.

Working alongside the excellent C/Can team led by Global CEO Isabel Mestres, Sophie Bussmann-Kemdjo, and Beatrice Okumu, I am confident that our efforts will add great value to our community. Together, we are committed to driving sustainable change in cancer care.”

Roselyne Okumu: Nairobi County - Rewriting the Cancer Care Agenda