pillar 5

Strategic Information, Registration, Surveillance and Research

Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) play a crucial role in cancer control programs, guiding corrective actions by tracking performance periodically. This involves routine data collection against well-defined indicators to offer detailed insights into progress and identify gaps. Evaluation, on the other hand, assesses the effectiveness or impact of cancer control interventions at discrete time-points. A well- functioning integrated health information system is essential for effective M&E and continuous quality improvement in cancer control.

Cancer surveillance is primarily conducted through cancer registration, with population-based (PBCR) and hospital-based (HBCR) cancer registries complementing each other. A functional PBCR is crucial for cancer control planning, providing data on the burden and trends of cancer occurrence. In Kenya, efforts have been made to establish additional PBCRs in cities like Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Meru, along with HBCRs at regional cancer centers. Currently, the country has achieved approximately 11% coverage, falling short of the recommended 20% national population coverage by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

High-quality cancer research is essential for knowledge synthesis and producing evidence for effective cancer prevention and control. While Kenya has a national cancer research agenda, its implementation has been sub-optimal due to poor coordination, funding gaps, and insufficient training. The strategy also
focuses on knowledge management and translation, emphasizing the conversion of local cancer research into policy-informing insights. The country has notable population-based cancer registries, such as the Nairobi Cancer Registry (NCR) and the Eldoret Cancer Registry (ECR), established to harmonize cancer registration processes and achieve the goals of both HBCRs and PBCRs.

The overarching goal of Pillar 5 is to implement a comprehensive and sustainable monitoring, evaluation, surveillance, registration, research and knowledge management framework, to inform policy and practice through the following strategic objectives

Strengthen availability, quality, demand and utilization of cancer data at both national and sub-national levels.
Strengthen cancer registration in the country.
Strengthen cancer research in Kenya.