A Kenyan citizen, Prisca Githuka’s fight against cancer has exposed the challenges many patients in Kenya and across Africa face in accessing life-saving medications. Diagnosed with triple-positive breast cancer in 2013, Githuka struggled with the high costs of treatment, including Herceptin, which cost approximately Ksh350,000 ($35,000) per session, alongside expensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Her case reflects the broader difficulties for patients with non-communicable diseases (NCDs), as essential medicines remain unavailable in public hospitals, forcing many to turn to costly private pharmacies. Over the past decade, Githuka has relied on fundraising and loans to afford daily medication, advocating for tax exemptions on essential drugs and better healthcare access.
At the NCD Global Forum in Kigali, experts, including NCD Alliance CEO Katie Dain, warned that the global response to NCDs is falling behind. Despite commitments made in 2012, NCDs remain the leading cause of death worldwide, with sub-Saharan Africa facing a growing crisis. By 2030, NCDs are expected to surpass HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis as the region’s top cause of death.
Dain called for urgent action, highlighting the impact of reduced global health funding. She urged governments to use the upcoming UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs to push for stronger policies, such as taxing unhealthy products and improving healthcare funding. While Rwanda has made progress in tackling NCDs, ensuring widespread access to essential medicines remains a challenge across the continent.