Cancer Support Groups Push for Cheaper Chemotherapy

Cancer advocacy organisations in Kenya are intensifying calls for more affordable chemotherapy, highlighting the crippling costs that force many patients to delay or abandon treatment. Groups like the Kenya Network of Cancer Organisations (KENCO) and the Cancer Survivors Association have raised alarm about the shortage of critical drugs such as Herceptin, especially in public hospitals, where patients have repeatedly struggled to access the therapy due to high costs
The transition from the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Authority (SHA) has added further pressure, say patient advocates. Under SHA’s current oncology benefit, many cancer patients exhaust their annual coverage months before the year ends KENCO reports that roughly 60 percent of cancer patients use up their coverage in under a year, forcing them either to pay out-of-pocket, raise money through community fundraising (harambees), or stop treatment entirely.
In response to the outcry, SHA recently expanded its cancer treatment package. The new scheme offers up to KSh 400,000 annually, with an additional KSh 150,000 for advanced cases. Moreover, SHA says it is working with pharmaceutical companies — notably Roche — to lower the price of Herceptin. Under the new arrangement, breast cancer patients with HER2-positive tumours will pay a reduced KSh 40,000 per cycle, down from KSh 120,000 previously.
Still, advocates argue it’s not enough. Cancer patients and support groups are demanding that SHA raise its oncology benefit to at least KSh 1.2 million per year to truly cover the cost of modern, life-saving chemotherapy regimens. They also want clearer, more transparent communication from SHA about what is covered — and what isn’t — so patients can plan treatment without fear of being unexpectedly cut off. If implemented, these changes could significantly reduce the financial burden on Kenyan cancer patients and help more people complete their treatment.