By Robai Ludenyi
Cervical cancer continues to pose a serious health and economic challenge in Kenya, with experts urging stronger action from employers, insurers, healthcare providers and policymakers to address its growing impact on women, families and the workforce.
According to the latest health figures, cervical cancer kills around 10 Kenyan women every day, making it the country’s leading cause of cancer death among women and the second most common cancer overall after breast cancer. Without stronger interventions, the loss of life could nearly double by 2040, health analysts say, if current trends continue.
For businesses and the broader economy, this trend has real financial implications. Cervical cancer often strikes women in their prime working years, affecting productivity, increasing healthcare costs and placing pressure on employers to provide support for affected staff and their families. Women lost prematurely to illness are not just personal tragedies they represent a loss of skilled labour, experience and household income that can ripple through communities and industries.
A major reason behind the high death toll is that most cases are identified far too late, when treatment becomes complicated and costly. Screening rates remain low: fewer than 17 percent of women in Kenya have ever been tested for cervical cancer, and many are only diagnosed once the disease has progressed to advanced stages. Late detection limits treatment options and often results in poorer survival rates.
Health industry leaders point to preventive measures such as HPV vaccination and regular screening as critical tools to reduce both human and economic costs. Kenya introduced the HPV vaccine in 2019, and coverage for the first dose has risen significantly in recent years. The nation recently shifted to a single-dose vaccination policy to boost uptake and simplify delivery, a move expected to accelerate progress toward global elimination goals and reduce long-term treatment expenses.
On the policy front, the Government of Kenya and the World Health Organization (WHO) have launched the National Cervical Cancer Elimination Action Plan (2026-2030). This strategy aims to scale up vaccination, strengthen screening systems, expand access to affordable treatment and integrate services into primary healthcare across all counties.
The plan sets ambitious targets aligned with WHO’s global framework: 90 percent of girls fully vaccinated against HPV by age 15, 70 percent of women screened at least twice in their lifetime, and 90 percent of women diagnosed receiving appropriate care. Achieving these benchmarks could not only save lives but also reduce long-term healthcare spending and strengthen workforce participation.
With cervical cancer often silent until its later stages, businesses, government and civil society are being pushed to act now rather than react later. As health and economic advocates note, early screening and prevention investments could deliver both human and financial returns by reducing death rates, lowering treatment costs and keeping more women actively contributing to Kenya’s economy.
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