Nura Kemis 
- RFH Healthcare Advances Cancer Care as World Marks Cancer Day;
 As the world marks World Cancer Day under the theme “Closing the Care Gap,” RFH Healthcare is celebrating a major milestone in strengthening cancer care infrastructure across the region, at a time when cancer cases are rising sharply across the country’s diverse counties.
According to data from the World Health Organization’s GLOBOCAN 2022 estimates and the National Cancer Institute of Kenya (NCI), cancer is now among the leading causes of death in the country.
 This growing burden is largely attributed to late diagnosis and limited access to timely, quality care. The most common cancers; breast, cervical, prostate, oesophageal and colorectal, account for nearly half of all reported cases nationwide.
The World Cancer Day theme highlights one of the most persistent challenges facing cancer patients: inequality in access to diagnosis, treatment and long-term care.
For many patients, these gaps translate into delayed treatment, high out-of-pocket costs, long travel distances and disrupted care journeys.
In line with the global call to close these gaps, RFH Healthcare recently commissioned Sub-Saharan Africa’s first Elekta Harmony Precision Radiotherapy Unit at the RFH Cancer Centre in Ruai.
The launch represents a significant investment in advanced cancer treatment infrastructure designed to improve access, quality and continuity of care.
Precision radiotherapy goes beyond cutting-edge technology. It enables more targeted treatment, reduces damage to healthy tissue, shortens treatment times and lessens the physical and emotional burden on patients.
Most importantly, it supports care pathways that improve outcomes while preserving dignity for patients and their families.
For healthcare systems across Africa, experts note that closing the cancer care gap requires more than awareness campaigns. It demands sustained investment in infrastructure, specialized expertise and systems that bring advanced treatment closer to where people live.
said the commissioning of the new radiotherapy unit is aimed at addressing long-standing barriers faced by cancer patients.
 “This investment is about bringing advanced, life-saving cancer treatment closer to patients who would otherwise face long waiting periods or prohibitive costs,” Dr. Okoth said.
“Just as the World Cancer Day theme calls on us to close the care gap, this initiative directly addresses the gaps cancer patients routinely encounter when seeking treatment.”
The milestone marks progress toward a more equitable cancer care ecosystem, one where early diagnosis is matched with timely, high-quality treatment and consistent follow-up care.
Increasingly, health facilities are recognizing that effective cancer treatment must extend beyond clinical interventions. Addressing the emotional, social and economic challenges faced by patients and their families has become a central part of comprehensive cancer care.
As World Cancer Day draws attention to disparities in cancer outcomes, RFH Healthcare reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening regional capacity, advancing specialist-led care and contributing to a future where access to advanced cancer treatment is not defined by geography.
