The government plans to meet the entire cost of treatment of cancer as 1 million Kenyans are at risk of being impoverished by the debilitating disease yearly.

Director General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth while confirming this said the government is out to ensure the cost of treatment for cancer is fully covered in the new medical scheme.

“As a country, every year one million Kenyans are at risk of being impoverished by catastrophic health treatment expenses and one of these causes is treatment of cancer, “That is why in the new medical cover structure we have optimized to ensure that whatever is prescribed by the doctors in line with the guidelines provided by the National Cancer Control Program, will be treated fully without any additional out-of-pocket expenses for families,” said Amoth.

He spoke during launching of the National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month at Kenyatta University Teaching Research and Referral Hospital (KUTRRH) where he also commissioned a paediatric oncology ward.

The occasion whose theme is “Reducing the Survival Gap” kicked off with a walk to raise awareness among the public. Amoth added that in Kenya there at least 3,000 new childhood cancer cases reported every year with the survival rate being 20 percent compared to 80 percent in developed countries.

The Health DG commended the hospital management for its exemplary performance in offering quality cancer care services for both children and adults through its state-of-the-art equipment and competent staff.

Amoth asked Kenyans to register with the new Social Health Authority (SHA) in order to access the new medical insurance cover ahead of the official rollout of the program on October 1, 2024.