Every day in Kenya, nine to 10 women die from cervical cancer — a disease that is almost entirely preventable. This is happening not because we lack medical tools or policy ambition, but because too often those tools do not yet reach the women who need them.
Across Africa, governments have committed to eliminating cervical cancer, aligning with the World Health Organization’s global strategy for elimination, which sets “90-70-90” targets: vaccinate 90% of girls by age 15, screen 70% of women by ages 35 and 45 with a high-performance test, and ensure 90% of those diagnosed receive appropriate treatment and care by 2030.
Kenya’s newly launched National Cervical Cancer Elimination Action Plan 2026-2030 is fully costed and results-oriented, designed to drive progress toward these targets through human papillomavirus vaccination, early and equitable screening, prompt treatment, and long-term follow-up across all 47 counties.
About the author
Diana Njuguna
Diana Njuguna is a nurse, researcher, and lecturer at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology. Her work is dedicated to reducing the burden of cervical cancer in Kenya through community-based cervical cancer prevention, health education, and closing the gap between national policy and front-line health delivery. Before her transition into academia, she served as a nursing officer. Njuguna is an active member of the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care and the Oncology Nurses Society-Kenya. She is also a committed member of the Rotary Club of Nairobi Thika Road.
