Kisumu has launched a mobile cancer screening clinic in a move aimed at taking early detection and preventive services closer to residents across the lake region.
The Clinic on Wheels, launched on Thursday at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), will provide cancer awareness, screening and preventive services, including breast and cervical cancer screening.
The initiative is a partnership between the Kisumu County Government and the Africa Cancer Foundation, which has been involved in cancer awareness, prevention and patient support for the past 15 years.
Speaking during the launch, Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o said the mobile clinic would help address barriers that prevent many residents from accessing screening services, particularly those living far from specialised health facilities.
“Quality healthcare should not wait for patients to seek it, but must reach them where they live,” Nyong’o said.
The governor said the programme was conceived after the First Lady of Kisumu raised concerns over the increasing prevalence of breast cancer and the difficulties many women face travelling long distances to access screening.
The mobile clinic was initially intended to be fitted with a mammography unit.
However, technical assessments found that the structural and radiation safety requirements of mammography could not be accommodated on a mobile platform.
A breast ultrasound unit was subsequently adopted as an alternative, allowing the clinic to offer breast screening to women of different age groups.
Nyong’o said the facility would complement existing efforts to address cervical cancer and close gaps in breast cancer screening.
“Every diagnosis made early increases the chances of successful treatment. Every journey spared brings healthcare closer to the people it exists to serve,” he said.
The governor said cancer continued to claim many lives because of late diagnosis, calling for a shift from a reactive healthcare system to one focused on prevention, early detection and timely treatment.
He said the mobile clinic would benefit residents in rural and underserved areas, including farmers, fishermen and other communities that face challenges accessing specialised healthcare.
The launch comes as Kisumu strengthens its cancer care infrastructure and referral systems.
Nyong’o said the county was operationalising Victoria Sub-County Hospital as a regional hub for cancer and sickle cell screening, prevention, diagnosis and coordinated care.
The facility will work with JOOTRH to coordinate community outreach, diagnostics, patient navigation and referrals across Kisumu County and the wider lake region.
The governor also announced plans to pilot the PanTum Detect multi-cancer early detection programme at Victoria Hospital during the Africa Smart Cities Conference in August.
The pilot, to be implemented in collaboration with the Africa Smart Cities Alliance and clinical, diagnostic and research partners, is expected to generate evidence on the effectiveness and affordability of multi-cancer blood testing within the local healthcare system.
A molecular diagnostic laboratory is also expected to be operational at Victoria Hospital by the end of the year, further strengthening advanced cancer diagnostics and sickle cell screening.
Meanwhile, Nyong’o said the county’s cancer care efforts would complement the ongoing development of specialised services at JOOTRH.
He said the hospital’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre, established before the facility transitioned to the national government, had been developed through partnerships and investments in specialised care.
Once completed and commissioned, the hospital’s blood disorders unit is expected to become Kenya’s first bone marrow transplant centre, offering specialised treatment to patients with blood cancers and children and families affected by sickle cell disease.
Nyong’o called for closer collaboration between the national and county governments, health institutions and partners in expanding access to cancer services.
He said the launch of the mobile clinic marked a shift towards an integrated approach linking prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and long-term follow-up.
“Cancer is not only a medical condition. It is a social, economic and development challenge that calls for political leadership, sound public policy and sustained investment,” he said.
He urged residents to take advantage of the mobile clinic when it visits their communities and encouraged families to prioritise regular cancer screening.
“No life should be lost because screening came too late,” Nyong’o said.
