SPEAKER PROFILES:

Dr. Mary Nyangasi
Dr Nyangasi is a public health specialist/epidemiologist with interests in Non-Communicable Disease especially Cancer. She earned a medical degree from the University of Nairobi and a Master’s in Public Health in Epidemiology and Disease Control from Kenyatta University. Dr Nyangasi holds postgraduate certificates in Non-Communicable Diseases diplomacy from Graduate Institute Geneva and Leadership and Management in Health from the University of Washington.

Dr Nyangasi has experience spanning over 15 years in clinical practice and public health with 7 years of specialist oncology practice and currently working in the area of cancer control programming and policy. She is a member of African Cancer Coalition and has contributed to the development of NCCN harmonized guidelines for head and neck cancers as well as the conceptualization and implementation of Chemosafe project in Kenya.

Brief on current appointment:  Head of the National Cancer Control Programme in the Ministry of Health within the Department of Non-Communicable Diseases, the arm within the Ministry that coordinates the implementation of cancer control activities on behalf of the Ministry. Her main interest is in breast, cervical and colorectal cancers prevention and control, research, innovations in public health for strengthening the health systems and implementation science.

Dr Rose Jalang’o
Dr. Rose Jalang’o is a Public Health Specialist, with a sub specialization in Vaccinology, working with the Ministry of Health in Kenya at the National Vaccines and Immunization Program as a Strategic Information Management and Communications Officer.

Dr Jalang’o trained as a medical doctor at the University of Nairobi and holds a Public Health Master’s degree from the same university. She has additionally done a course in the epidemiological evaluation of vaccines at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine as well as a course in advanced vaccinology at the Merieux Foundation and University of Geneva.

Dr Jalang’o has vast experience in new vaccines applications, introductions and monitoring. In Kenya, she has been actively involved the introduction and monitoring of the HPV vaccine, Men A vaccine campaign, Malaria Vaccine, influenza vaccines and COVID 19 vaccines. She is also serves on the Kenya National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (KENITAG) secretariat.

Moderator: Dr. Khadija Warfa

Dr. Warfa is a Consultant Obstetrician-Gynecologist and a Gynecologic Oncologist. She completed a four-year residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Aga Khan University in 2012. On completion, she worked as a clinical instructor in the department for a year and proceeded to the University of Calgary, Canada for a two-year fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology. She is involved in the training and supervision of postgraduate students, she runs various clinics at the hospital with a wide referral base from East and Central Africa.

Dr. Warfa is also involved in creating awareness in women’s cancer; she gives talks in various institutions voluntarily to educate women about cervical cancer screening, her objective is to reduce mortality related to Gynecologic Cancers in Kenya. She is a member of the European society of gynecologic oncology (ESGO) and a member of the Kenya Society of obstetricians and gynaecologists (KOGS).