SPEAKER PROFILES:

Dr Khadija Warfa

Khadija Warfa is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Aga Khan University Hospital.

She is a member of the African Cancer Coalition, Kenya Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society, European society of gynecologic oncology (ESGO) and IGCS.

She is involved in the Harmonized NCCN guidelines and is a technical advisor to the Kenya National cancer treatment protocols with the objective to reduce mortality related to Gynecologic Cancers in Kenya.

Dr Elias Melly

Elias 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 Karima Oualla

Karima Oualla completed her medical training at University Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah prior to practicing as a Medical Oncologist at Hassan II University Hospital. She also earned a degree in epidemiology and clinical research from University Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah then joined Institut Jules Bordet in Brussels, Belgium, as an assistant doctor (2012–2013) in breast cancer Unit. She holds a certificate of specialization in Medical Oncology from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, and completed a 3-year postgraduate course in Medical Oncology (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer [EORTC]-affiliated National Belgian Programme for Inter-University Faculty). Dr Oualla worked also as medical adviser at the BrEAST Data Center in Belgium on 2015.

Dr Oualla was awarded a fellowship by the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) on Onco-Urology at the Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, in Milan, Italy where she worked in Onco-Urology Unit. In 2015, she joined the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Training Programme at the Department of Public Health in the University of South Florida, in Tampa, FL, USA, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Fogarty International Center, Bethesda, MD, USA, and Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa (2015–2016), where she graduated on “Concepts and Tools of Epidemiology”. In 2016, Dr Oualla undertook transitional research training at the Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC), in Vienna, Austria, and completed an ESMO fellowship in the Palliative Care Department at the Centre Léon Bérard, in Lyon, France, in 2019.She completed a master’s degree in Science at Ulm University, in Ulm, Germany in 2020 and graduated from the same University with a certificate of specialization in breast cancer on 2022.

Dr Oualla was designated as an ambassador of the European School of Oncology for the years 2023 and 2024.

Dr Oualla serves on the leadership Council of the Global Society of Rare Genitourinary Tumors (GSRGT), and the scientific committee of the International Bladder Cancer Group (IBCG). She is also member of ESMO, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the European School of Oncology (ESO).

Dr Helena Musau (Moderator)

Helena Musau is a Consultant Clinical/Radiation Oncologist and Head of the Oncology Department at Kenyatta University Teaching Research and Referral Hospital.

She is an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Nairobi, Radiation Oncology program.

She is a member of various Ministry of Health technical working groups aimed at improving access to cancer care in Kenya.

Dr Helena is the first recipient of the Leadership Program of Women in Oncology by the City Cancer Challenge Foundation and ASCO. She serves in the International Education Steering Group at ASCO and is a member of the Public Policy Committee at ESMO.

She is the current KESHO secretary.