Guided Therapeutics, Inc., maker of a rapid and painless testing platform based on its patented biophotonic technology that utilizes light for the early detection of disease at the cellular level, has partnered with its distributor Stem World Enterprises, to conduct a large-scale cervical cancer screening among Kenyan women, in cooperation with the Kenyan National Ministry of Health (MOH). The First Lady Margret Kenyatta’s Beyond Zero program is aiming to screen up to 12,000,000 women for cervical cancer. Each following year, President Uhuru Kenyatta has set a target of screening half the female population of Kenya for this malignancy.
According to the statistics from the Ministry of Health, cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in Kenya. The World Health Organization reports there are 10.32 million women in Kenya who are at risk of developing the cancer, and that every year, approximately 2,454 new cases are diagnosed, with 1,676 women dying as a consequence of the disease. The largest number of deaths by cervical cancer was traced to Nairobi.
The program, if adopted, will attempt to place about 100 LuViVa Advanced Scans, a non-invasive device by Guided Therapeutics used to detect cervical disease instantly and at the point of care, at all Level 4 and 5 healthcare facilities. The initial target for the program’s inaugural year is to screen over 1,000,000 women, then continuously expand with every following year. Counties that maintain their own hospitals will be implementing a complementary screening program. The first would be Nairobi County Health Services Sector, which is targeting 10,800 women a month.
“We are pleased to have made the proposal to the Ministry of Health, Beyond Zero and the counties to bring the latest in early cervical cancer detection technology to the women of Kenya,” said Gene Cartwright, CEO and President of Guided Therapeutics. “President Kenyatta’s goal of screening fifty percent of Kenyan women annually will have a highly positive effect that will result in a significant reduction in the rate of cervical cancer.”
“This proposal is a real opportunity to bring new, impactful technology that produces an instant result, while avoiding the logistics issues that plague lab tests, so treatment can occur immediately, if necessary,” said Alphonce Omondi, CEO of Stem World. “The President’s goal and First Lady’s determination to eradicate cervical cancer is something we are pleased to be a part of and support.”