Foundation to hold 4 medical camps to mark breast cancer awareness month

By Peter Ochieng

M-Pesa Foundation in partnership with Zuri Health are set to mark breast cancer awareness month by hosting four specialised medical camps, that will focus on screening and providing healthcare services related to breast, prostrate, cervical and colon cancer.

M-Pesa Foundation has committed Sh36 million towards these camps, which will happen every Saturday this October.

The first camp was held in Nairobi at Uhuru Gardens Primary School in Langata over the weekend, and subsequent camps will be held in Taita Taveta, Homa Bay and Murang’a Counties.

“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,” said Patricia Ithau, Trustee, M-Pesa Foundation.

Through the camps, the foundation will provide free diagnostic services such as CEA tests for colon cancer, mammograms and ultrasounds for breast cancer, pap smears and HPV vaccines for cervical cancer, and PSA tests for prostate cancer.

The camps will also offer nutritional and psychosocial support for individuals diagnosed with, or at risk of cancer, while telemedicine will be leveraged to enable patients to consult with oncologists.

In order 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.

Since 2023, 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.

Breast cancer awareness month has been celebrated in October since the eighties.

It is called "Pink October" as people around the world adopt the pink colour and display a pink ribbon to raise awareness about the importance of prevention and routine screening for the early diagnosis of breast cancer.