It’s a sigh of relief for more than 800, 000 women living with HIV in the country, following the unveiling of a five-year national cervical cancer elimination action plan.
This group is the most vulnerable group to the scourge of cervical cancer.
Recent data from late 2025 indicates that around 867,571 females in Kenya are living with HIV, making up roughly 65.4 percent of the total HIV-positive population, with young women being particularly vulnerable to new infections.
Research shows that HIV weakens the immune system’s ability to fight off and clear Human Papillomavirus (HPV), leading to more persistent infections with cancer-causing types of the virus.
Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in Kenya, despite it being very preventable
and having effective management approaches. Approximately 6,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer in Kenya in 2022, and 3,600 died from the disease.
However, Health Cabinet Secretary, Aden Duale noted that the fresh bid to address cervical cancer through the five-year plan, signals a major step forward in the country’s fight against one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women.
“The plan prioritises HPV vaccination, early and equitable screening, prompt treatment and long-term follow-up, and this is in line with the World Health Organization’s strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health threat,” the CS said in Nairobi when he presided over the National Symposium, and also officially launching Kenya’s National Cervical Cancer Elimination Action Plan 2026–2030.
The newly launched, costed and results-oriented Action Plan is designed to drive progress towards the global 90–70–90 targets—vaccinating 90 per cent of girls against HPV, screening 70 per cent of women, and ensuring 90 per cent of those diagnosed receive timely treatment.
Held during Kenya Cancer Awareness Month under the theme “Accelerating Cervical Cancer Elimination: Strong Systems and Community Action for Every Girl and Every Woman,” the two-day symposium brought together women leaders, health professionals, policymakers, development partners and civil society organisations to review progress and accelerate action across prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment.
“The Ministry has embarked on key policy and programmatic reforms, including Kenya’s transition to a single-dose HPV vaccination schedule, expansion of HPV DNA testing, and introduction of self-sampling,” said the CS, emphasising that all these interventions are aimed at increasing screening uptake, and deployment of digital health innovations. He stated that these programs will extend services to women in all 47 counties.
He also underscored ongoing Government investments to strengthen referral systems, expand cancer treatment infrastructure, build a skilled health workforce and advance health financing reforms under the Social Health Authority, aimed at making cancer care accessible, affordable and equitable.
The Cabinet Secretary further announced the rollout of mandatory service charters across all public and private health facilities to clearly display government-supported services, a move intended to promote transparency, curb overcharging and protect patients’ rights.
Powerful testimonies from cervical cancer survivors, alongside broad multi-sectoral participation, reinforced a shared national resolve to end preventable deaths from cervical cancer.
The event was attended by senior health leaders, including the Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni, the CEO of the National Cancer Institute of Kenya, Elias Melly, the Ministry of Health’s Director of Family Health Issak Bashir, and the Head of the Cancer Division Gladwell Gathecha, among others.
“As we mark National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, I’m reminded of the unacceptable reality: 6,000 new cases and 3,500 preventable deaths from cervical cancer each year,” he added, cautioning that these are not just numbers, but families torn apart and communities diminished.
The Global Strategy to Eliminate Cervical Cancer as A Public Health Problem requires countries to ensure at least 90 percent of girls are vaccinated against HPV by age 15 years, 70 percent of women are screened at least twice in a lifetime with a high-precision test and 90 percent of women with cervical pre-cancer or invasive cancer receive treatment.
Kenya has experienced both successes and challenges in implementing cervical cancer elimination strategies.
Data shows that in 2024, an estimated 61 percent of girls received the first HPV dose. Although 48 percent of women targeted for screening in 2024 were actually screened.
In 2024, only 6% were screened using HPV testing. Of those eligible for treatment, only 43% were actually treated. These gaps underscore the need for accelerated action to put Kenya firmly on the path to cervical cancer elimination.
The CS noted that these gaps reveal that Kenya’s journey toward cervical cancer elimination is still incomplete and requires focused attention,.
“This action plan, therefore, seeks to spur action to put Kenya on track to achieving the 2030 elimination interim targets,” he said.
Through detailed situational, gap and root-cause analysis, a multi-stakeholder effort identified priority actions for
spurring progress towards the 2030 targets. This action plan has 21 operational objectives, with specific actions.
The implementation of the action plan will be undertaken by both national and county governments, in collaboration
with other stakeholders.
To achieve this, existing coordination mechanisms will require to be strengthened, including the school health Technical Working Group (TWG), county NCD and Immunization TWGs, National Cervical Cancer Elimination TWG, all reporting to the Council of Governors (CoG) and NCD Interagency Coordination Committee (NCD-ICC).
IF).
The ability of cervical cancer interventions (such as HPV
vaccination, screening, and treatment) to maintain
their impact and operations over time by building local
capacity, securing long-term financing, institutionalizing
practices within the health system, and ensuring
community ownership to reduce dependency on
external support. Examples include domestic financing
(PHC benefits), local equipment maintenance plans,
and workforce retention
ATA GLANCE:
- A female HIV patient is highly vulnerable to cervical cancer, facing a risk that is approximately six times higher than women without HIV. This increased vulnerability is primarily due to the immune suppression caused by HIV, which makes it harder for the body to clear the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection that causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer.
- To implement the health system strengthening interventions proposed in this action plan, the government requiresSh1.2 Billion for the next five years. Of this, 27 percent is for interventions to be implemented primarily by counties, 16 percent by national government
and 57 percent is shared by the two levels of government. - A proposal to establish two additional PET/SPECT centers at MTRH
and Mombasa regional cancer center will require Sh1.4 Billion.
Cervical cancer elimination service provision components are comprehensively covered in the Social Health Insurance Fund (SH
