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Challenges For Cancer Care During Covid-19 Pandemic In Kenya: Policy Implications, Diana Kassaman, Rachel Kimani, Adelaide Lusambili

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Cancer accounts for roughly 7 percent of Kenyan mortality, making it the country's third leading cause of death [1]. Available statistics indicate that 70–80 percent of cancer cases in Kenya are first diagnosed only in later stages [2]. Despite its high prevalence and the care needed to treat late-stage cancer, Kenya has few facilities and qualified healthcare workers (HCWs) that are dedicated to cancer treatment. In periods of a pandemic like COVID-19, both patients and HCWs may be at an additional risk of contracting the disease if tailored measures and strategies are not implemented for continuity of services.