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Professional Differentiation for the Oncology Workforce Symposium
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The Kenya Society for Haematology and Oncology (KESHO) partnered with the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) and the Ministry of Health, Kenya, and the Aga Khan University, to host the 1st Professional Differentiation for the Oncology Workforce Symposium aimed at developing a skilled and well trained oncology workforce who can provide quality care and services across the cancer continuum from prevention, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship.
The event brought together specialists, program directors, policymakers, universities, and all facilities that provide training for all cadres providing oncology services across the country and in the region to define the scope of practice, core competencies and entrustable professional activities for all oncology and allied services care providers in the country.
Dr Joyfrida Chepchumba
Dr Joyfrida is currently the Program Officer in charge of Treatment, Palliative Care, and Survivorship Pillar at the National Cancer Control Program. She coordinates all activities pertaining to cancer treatment, including partnering with health experts in both public and private sector to develop policies and guidelines to inform best practice in cancer treatment. She has coordinated development of several health policies related to cancer management including the first Kenyan Palliative Care Policy. Other policy documents under development include the National Radiotherapy protocols and Rehabilitation guidelines for children with cancer. She also oversees the M-saratani mobile platform, an e-learning platform which hosts content on early diagnosis of cancer targeting primary healthcare workers in the country. She has been working with the Ministry of Health, Kenya for over 10 years in the public health system.
She is a pharmacist with a Master’s degree in Health Economics and Policy and a Bachelor Degree in Pharmacy both from the University of Nairobi.
Dr Chepchumba previously worked at the National Quality Control Laboratory for seven years as a senior analyst where she oversaw ensuring quality of medicines and medical products through standardized analytical procedures. She is an active member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK) the umbrella body for all pharmacists in Kenya.
She has submitted abstracts to different local and international conferences including the World Cancer Congress (2022), Kenya Society of Hematology and Oncology (2022), Oncology Nurses Chapter (2022) PSK (2015).
She is passionate about collaborations in developing robust heath systems to improve the quality of life for patients in the oncology space.
Dr Joyfrida Chepchumba
Dr Joyfrida is currently the Program Officer in charge of...
Dr Gloria Omondi
Dr Gloria is a physician currently based at Kenyatta National Hospital, Cancer Treatment Center.
She has interests in management of solid cancers and cancer research.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine and Surgery and a Master’s Degree in Internal medicine from the University of Nairobi and an MSC in Oncology from Queen Mary University of London.
Dr Gloria Omondi
Physician
Dr Gloria is a physician currently based at Kenyatta National...
Dr. Mary Nyangasi
A medical doctor and global health physician with a 17-year career experience in medical
practice, clinical and preventive oncology, cancer policy formulation and programming at the
Ministry of Health in Kenya. Currently serves as the Head of the National Cancer Control
Program and Co-Chair of the National Cancer Taskforce.
She is passionate about improving access to care across the cancer care continuum and health
system strengthening to ensure delivery of services in a timely, safe and effective manner.
She has led the formulation and implementation of various cancer policy documents and
guidelines including the Breast Cancer Screening and Early Diagnosis Action Plan 2021-2025.
Globally, she has also contributed to the drafting of the Global Strategy for Elimination of
Cervical Cancer abd the Global Breast Health Initiative. She has interest in cancer research
especially in the area of preventive oncology and behavioural studies and have published a
number of papers in various peer-reviewed journals. She is a member of the Kenya Medical
Association, the Africa Cancer Coalition, the Kenya Red Cross and the Kenya Society of
Haematology and Oncology.
Dr. Mary Nyangasi
Medical doctor and global health physician
A medical doctor and global health physician with a 17-year...
Dr. Nafula W. Esther
Dr Nafula is a Palliative Care & Pain Management Specialist based at the Kenyatta National Hospital where I head the Pain & Palliative Care Unit. She is very passionate about palliative care and is actively involved in making services and education available in Kenya. She has volunteered for Coast, Kakamega and Nairobi Hospices in the past. Dr Nafula holds a Master of Science and Diploma for Higher Education in Palliative Care from Oxford Brookes University. She also holds a Certificate in Teaching and Learning for Higher Education from the same University and a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree from the University of Nairobi. She is a member of the Kenya Society for Pain and part of our agenda is training health care providers on proper pain assessment and management. She is a tutor at Oxford Brookes University and a member of the International Cancer Institute (ICI) faculty. Her roles involve teaching in various palliative care programs for health care providers across the country, taking care of patients and families needing palliative care and advocating for availability of opioid analgesics.
Dr. Nafula W. Esther
Palliative Care & Pain Management Specialist
Dr Nafula is a Palliative Care & Pain Management Specialist...
Dr Edwin Mogere
Dr Mogere is a Consultant Neurosurgery and Neurovascular specialist, Assistant Professor and Programme Director at Aga Khan University, Nairobi.
Dr Edwin Mogere
Dr Mogere is a Consultant Neurosurgery and Neurovascular specialist, Assistant...
Jesse Elungat Opakas
Chief Medical Specialist MTRH 2 Clinical & Radiation Oncology
Director: Hemato-Oncology Directorate, Moi Teaching & Referral Hospital, Eldoret Kenya
Positions and Honors
2006 – 2007 Medical officer intern at Kitale District Hospital
2008 – 2010 Medical Officer Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital
2010 – 2015 Residency training in Clinical and Radiation Oncology – University of Stellenbosch, and Fellowship of the College of Radiation Oncologists of South Africa.
2015 – Date Medical Specialist MTRH 4, Consultant in Clinical and Radiation Oncology at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH).
2017 November to Date: Director- Directorate of Hemato-Oncology MTRH 2019June: Senior Medical Specialist MTRH 3
2022 September: Chief Medical Specialist MTRH 2
Peer-reviewed Publication
Results of Radioactive Iodine (131I) Therapy in Well Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma: A Retrospective Study from the Tygerberg Hospital.
D. Acullu 1* A. E. Fourie 2, K. Baatjes 3 and E. J. Opakas 4 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283708956_Results_of_Radioactive
_Iodine_131I_Therapy_in_Well_Differentiated_Thyroid_Carcinoma_A_Retrospe ctive_Study_from_the_Tygerberg_Hospital
Radiotherapy in the management of carcinoma of the vulva in HIV positive and negative patients : an institutional experience; Jesse Elungat Opakas https://www.academia.edu/66075078/Radiotherapy_in_the_management_of_ carcinoma_ of_the_vulva_in_HIV_positive_and_negative_patients_an_institutional_experie nce 2015
Jesse Elungat Opakas
Chief Medical Specialist MTRH 2 Clinical & Radiation Oncology
Chief Medical Specialist MTRH 2 Clinical & Radiation Oncology Director:...
- Medical Oncologists
- Radiation Oncologists
- Clinical and Radiation Oncologists
- Paediatric Oncologists
- Surgical oncologists
- Gynaecological oncologists
- Haematologists
- Clinical trial co-ordinators
- Oncology nurses
- Registrars and fellows specializing in oncology field
- Trainee radiation therapists, medical physicists and oncology nurses
- Medical officers and general practitioners working in the Oncology field
- Radiation therapists
- Medical physicists
- Oncology pharmacists
- Sponsoring companies
- Policy makers