EADB to offer fellowships to 600 cancer specialists

The East African Development Bank (EADB) in partnership with the British Council and the London based Royal College of Physicians has launched a Medical Training and Fellowships Programme to train 600 cancer specialists in the next four years in East Africa.

According to the Director General of the East African Development Bank, Vivienne Yeda, the training will boost the medical fraternity capacity in fighting noncommunicable diseases in particular, cancer and neurological disorders.

“The focus will be on early detection, research and treatment of cancer and neurological disorders in areas where access to qualified professionals remains a challenge.” Yeda said.

The training comes at a time when the number of cancer cases worldwide is expected to surge by 75% during the next two decades, according to WHO Cancer Research. Deaths from cancers have been on the increase in the East African region, with Kenya alone registering 50 deaths from various forms of cancer daily.