The M-PESA Foundation in partnership with Zuri Health is marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month by hosting four specialized medical camps in four counties. The medical camps will focus on screening and providing healthcare services related to breast, prostate, cervical, and colon cancer.
The Foundation has committed Ksh. 36 million towards these camps, which will happen each Saturday in October. The first camp was recently held in Nairobi at Uhuru Gardens Primary School in Langata, and subsequent camps will be held in Taita Taveta, Homa Bay, and Murang’a Counties.
Through the camps, the Foundation will provide free diagnostic services such as CEA tests for colon cancer, mammograms, and ultrasounds for various illnesses. These include breast cancer, pap smears, HPV vaccines for cervical cancer, and PSA tests for prostate cancer. The camps will also offer nutritional and phsycho-social support for individuals diagnosed with, or at risk of cancer, while telemedicine will be leveraged to enable patients consultions with oncologists.
To ensure proper aftercare, the foundation will provide free one-year medical cover for up to 20 patients diagnosed with cancer at each camp. In addition to cancer screening, the camps also offer an array of medical services including eye care consultations, fistula screening, general doctor consultations, diabetes screening, hypertension monitoring, and elderly and child health consultations.
Over 3,000 people benefitted from the first specialized medical camp, which happened in Nairobi County at the Uhuru Gardens Primary School in Langata. This marked the 25th camp held by the Foundation since May 2023, when it kicked off a series of medical camps across the country in partnership with Zuri Health and Lion SightFirst Eye Hospital.
Since last year, the M-PESA Foundation medical camps have screened over 3,500 patients and 300 patients have been referred for further testing after suspected cases of breast, cervical, and prostate cancer.
Commenting on the planned medical camps for this month, Patricia Ithau, Trustee of the M-PESA Foundation said, “In line with our commitment to supporting health, this month, our medical camps will significantly highlight cancer. We aim to promote early screening and detection so that patients can get the treatment they need, with a focus on supporting underserved communities to access these services.”