Pink ribbon. /PHOTO; Courtesy
Kenya is set to benefit from a new $10 million regional investment by The Pfizer Foundation aimed at improving access to timely breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and care in low-resource settings.
The investment was announced on January 8, 2026 when the Pfizer Foundation unveiled a three-year commitment under its Action & Impact: A Cancer Care Initiative.
In Kenya, the funding will be implemented through the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH). In contrast, parallel support will be provided in Ethiopia through Innovations in Healthcare in partnership with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI).
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in sub-Saharan Africa and accounts for more than 16 percent of all diagnosed cancers in Kenya.
While five-year survival rates exceed 90 percent in many high-income countries, survival across much of the region averages around 40 percent, largely due to delayed diagnosis and limited access to specialised treatment.
“Since the launch of the Action & Impact initiative, we’ve seen meaningful progress across Rwanda, Ghana, and Tanzania, empowering communities to lead the charge and helping women gain access to breast cancer care that once felt out of reach,” said Darren Back, President of The Pfizer Foundation.
“As our trusted partners collaborate closely with governments to strengthen health systems, engage communities, and decentralize diagnosis and care, we’re helping build a successful model to help ensure more women can receive the care they need when and where they need it.”
In Kenya, the investment will support AMPATH’s efforts to work with national and regional health leaders to revise breast cancer guidelines, develop new education and training resources, and expand community outreach activities to improve awareness and encourage earlier health-seeking behaviour.
The programme will also introduce supportive care interventions for patients and strengthen tumour registry systems to track diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes better.
A key component of the funding will support the deployment of digital pathology and machine learning technologies to improve diagnostic accuracy and reduce turnaround times, particularly in settings with limited access to specialist pathology services.
Over the past decade, AMPATH has expanded its oncology services significantly.
“In the last decade, AMPATH partners have significantly grown our oncology program in Kenya from serving just 150 patients a year to more than 200 patients each day,” said Dr. Philip K. Kirwa, Chief Executive Officer of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, an AMPATH Kenya partner.
“With this new grant funding, we will build on this success to not only help improve breast cancer outcomes for women in Kenya but also generate insights to inform national policy and catalyze sustainable improvements in cancer care across the region.”
The January 8 announcement brings The Pfizer Foundation’s total investment in breast cancer initiatives to $25 million across five countries, reflecting its broader focus on supporting country-led solutions and strengthening public health systems in partnership with governments.
About The Pfizer Foundation
The Pfizer Foundation is a charitable organization aiming to build healthier communities around the world.
It invests in community-led partnerships and solutions to address today’s complex global health challenges, respond to urgent health needs, and empower Pfizer colleagues to make an impact where they live, work, and beyond.
About AMPATH Kenya
AMPATH Kenya is a partnership between Moi University and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kenya, and a consortium of 17 academic health centers around the world led by Indiana University.
AMPATH improves the health of people in underserved communities by working in partnership with academic health centers, ministries of health, and others to build public sector health systems and promote well-being.
