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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 Susan Msadabwe
Dr Msadabwe is a Clinical and Radiation Oncologist at the Cancer Diseases Hospital in Zambia.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical and Radiation Oncology from the University of the Witwatersrand
Dr Elias Melly
Dr Melly is a Medical Doctor and Cancer Expert. He is the current CEO of the National Cancer Institute of Kenya (NCI-K).
Dr Melly is highly skilled and knowledgeable with experience at the local, regional, and global levels in clinical care, training, research, and program development and growth, He believes in value-based, transformative leadership and governance.
Dr Melly is gifted in building partnerships and collaborations. He is a true advocate of service to humanity without fear or favor.
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.
Professor Emiola Oluwabunmi
Emiola Oluwabunmi Olapade-Olaopa is a professor of Surgery at the University of Ibadan, and an Honorary Consultant Urologist to the University College Hospital, Ibadan (with special focus on Prostate Cancer, Reconstruction and Endourology). His academic and professional careers span surgery, urology, molecular biology, medical education, and health systems research and development. He is the Immediate-Past Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, and has been an Adviser on health-professionals training and health systems development to several African countries, the WHO, and the United States and Norwegian Governments. He is currently the President of the African Medical Schools Association; and Chairman, Membership Section of Africa and the Middle-East, of the Societe Internationale d’Urologie. He has a Patent and over 150 publications and 200 national and international research presentations. He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Academies of Science; Medicine, and Medicine Specialties.
Dr Karen Mbaabu
Dr Karen Mbaabu is a oncoplastic breast surgeon based at the MP Shah hospital Nairobi. She completed her fellowship in oncoplastic breast surgery training in the UK. Prior to that, she had worked as a General Surgeon at a The Mater Misericordiae Hospital in Nairobi.
She undertook her medical training at the University of Nairobi Medical School and her postgraduate training in General Surgery at the Aga khan University Hospital, Nairobi. Dr Mbaabu’s most recent accomplishment is graduating with a Postgraduate certificate in Surgical Leadership from the Harvard Postgraduate Medical School (SLP,Class of 2022) She currently serves as the co-country representative of the COSECSA program.
Dr Mbaabu is passionate about providing quality, compassionate and affordable surgery. Her main interests are oncoplastic breast surgery and surgical education.
Caesar Oburu Barare
Caesar Oburu Barare is the Assistant Chief Radiation Therapist at the Kenyatta National Hospital, Cancer Treatment Centre.
He is a part time lecturer in Dip Med Imaging at KMTC Manza Campus and a Clinical Tutor, BRad (Therapy) at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
He is the immediate past Regional Director Africa at International Society of Radiographers and Radiological Technologists (ISRRT). He is the past president of Society of Radiography in Kenya (SORK).
- 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