The National Cancer Institute of Kenya (NCI-K), in collaboration with partners including Texas Cancer Centre, Beyond Zero, Minnovate Afya, the County Government of Kirinyaga, and the Office of the Principal Secretary, State Department for Health and Professional Standards – Ministry of Health, conducted a major cancer screening, education, and awareness outreach at Ngiriambu Primary School in Kirinyaga County as part of activities to commemorate Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.
The outreach was preceded by extensive community mobilization and publicity, resulting in an impressive turnout of both men and women for screening services. Notably, Day One recorded a historic milestone — for the first time across NCI-K screening outreaches, the number of men presenting for screening surpassed that of women. This marks a significant and encouraging shift, demonstrating that men are increasingly taking an active role in seeking healthcare services. The high uptake among men was further supported by the use of modern PSA screening technology, a simple process that delivers results in approximately 15 minutes, improving convenience and confidence in testing.
The week-long activity is expected to reach even higher numbers as momentum builds. NCI-K commends the community for this positive response and encourages other regions across the country to emulate Kirinyaga’s proactive approach to cancer prevention and early detection.
In addition to screening services, members of the public received health education and awareness sessions aimed at dispelling myths and misconceptions about cancer while promoting accurate information on prevention, early detection, and treatment options. NCI-K remains committed to reaching communities across the country to enhance uptake of HPV vaccination and cancer screening services as Kenya works toward achieving the WHO 90-70-90 cervical cancer elimination targets by 2030, alongside implementation of the National Cervical Cancer Elimination Action Plan 2025–2030.
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