From vision to national platform: EMPOWER scales through Kenya’s National Cancer Institute

In July 2025, Kenya reached a critical milestone in its fight against women’s cancers: EMPOWER, a digitally enabled cancer care model, was officially adopted by the National Cancer Institute of Kenya (NCI-K). The move transforms EMPOWER from a pioneering pilot into a nationally integrated platform—aligned with Kenya’s cancer control strategy, supported by domestic financing, and embedded in the country’s digital health infrastructure.

A vision born from local need—and global inspiration

EMPOWER began in 2019 with a bold ambition: to overcome the geographic, financial, and informational barriers that prevent women—especially in rural areas—from accessing timely, life-saving care for breast and cervical cancer.

Co-created by the County First Ladies Association (CFLA), AMREF, the International Cancer Institute Foundation (ICIF), the Kenyan Ministry of Health, and Roche Africa, EMPOWER launched with 20 physical clinics focused on early detection, community education, and care linkage.

Inspired in part by the Pink Clinics model in Latin America, the program was designed not to replicate, but to respond to Kenya’s specific health system gaps through partnership and localisation.

The digital leap: From clinic to ecosystem

In the last 12 months, with the addition of Savannah Informatics and the National Cancer Institute, EMPOWER entered a second phase: digital transformation. The patient journey—from screening to diagnosis, treatment and follow-up—was reimagined and digitised. A further 56 digital clinics were added, creating a 76-site network powered by real-time data and seamless coordination.

Real impact. Real scale.

Since inception, EMPOWER clinics have:

• Reached over 235,000 women

• Generated 5,936 unique EMPOWER IDs to ensure no patient is lost in the system

• Enabled 3,225 women to receive treatment

• Facilitated public financing for over 700 women with HER2+ breast cancer to access Herceptin SC at no out-of-pocket cost

These results reflect not only improved access—but smarter, evidence-driven health system planning and financing.

Integrated. Scalable. Sustainable.

EMPOWER is now embedded within Kenya’s national infrastructure. The platform is operated by the National Cancer Institute, integrated into the National Cancer Registry, and accessible across all NCI-accredited centers. This ensures continuity, sustainability, and alignment with Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goals.

“Data is our compass,” noted Cabinet Secretary of Health Aden Duale at the 2nd National Cancer Summit. “Our National Cancer Surveillance platform is enabling real-time, targeted decision-making.” Dr. Elias Melly, CEO of NCI-K, added: “EMPOWER is a great asset. It empowers counties, equips providers, and enables patients to navigate their journey with confidence.”

Why it matters

For patients: Each patient receives a unique EMPOWER ID—connecting them to screening, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship services across multiple centers.

For the health system: Digitisation supports better care coordination, fewer missed cases, and stronger national cancer data—driving policy, planning and financing decisions.

For sustainability: EMPOWER is now a nationally owned platform, supported by public financing and embedded in Kenya’s health infrastructure.

For Roche: EMPOWER reflects our long-term commitment to co-creating with governments—not just delivering innovation, but building the systems that sustain it. The model is now being explored for replication in other African countries.

EMPOWER 2.0: A shared value model for cancer control

EMPOWER is more than a health platform—it’s a blueprint for public-private collaboration that drives systemic, equitable, and lasting change. From a single clinic in 2019 to a 76-site national platform in 2025, EMPOWER proves what is possible when digital innovation meets deep local ownership.

Together with our partners, we’ve moved from vision to viability. Now, we scale.