President William Ruto confirmed a deal with Pfizer aimed at cutting the cost of treating several cancers by more than seven times. He said some medicines will drop from about Ksh.1 million to under Ksh.50,000 per treatment cycle.
Speaking after hosting Pfizer Chairman and Chief Executive Albert Bourla at State House in Nairobi on Monday, Ruto said the agreement covers medicines for breast, stomach, colon, lung, prostate, and oesophageal cancers, as well as leukaemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.
“Today, Kenya has made a major breakthrough in the treatment of several cancers,” the president said.
The arrangement runs between Pfizer and the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority under the Accord for a Healthier World, the company’s global programme that supplies medicines to lower-income countries on a not-for-profit basis. Kenya joined the Accord in June last year.
Ruto said the reduced prices will allow the Social Health Authority’s Ksh. 800,000 cancer package to cover treatment fully, without patients having to contribute additional funds.
“Consequently, prices of medicines for the treatment of breast, stomach, colon, lung, prostate, oesaphagus, leukaemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma cancers have reduced remarkably by more than 7 times,” Ruto announced.
He also said Kenya will gain access to newer therapies without the 10-year waiting period that currently delays breakthrough treatments from reaching the country.
The President, who serves as the African Union Champion for Local Manufacturing of Medical Commodities, said Pfizer will make new technologies and medicines available for pharmaceutical production across the continent.
Pfizer’s Chairman and Chief Executive Albert Bourla visited State House with Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, United States Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Susan M. Burns, Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga, and other Pfizer officials.
Cancer ranks among the leading causes of death in Kenya, and treatment costs have long driven families into debt or forced some patients to stop care partway through.
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