NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 25 –A cancer clinician and researcher from Kenya, Dr Miriam Mutebi, has been elected to lead the largest and most influential continental organization involved in the promotion of cancer care & control.
Dr Mutebi, who is a Breast Surgical Oncologist, at Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi is the President-Elect of the African Organization for Research & Training in Cancer (AORTIC). She will serve a 4-year term, two as President-elect and the rest as the President.
AORTIC is a Pan-African, multi-disciplinary organization that builds capacity for cancer advocacy, research, and training in Africa.
Commenting on her election, Dr Mutebi noted, “I am deeply honored to be elected by fellow oncology healthcare workers from across Africa, to lead the advocacy and research work on cancer. It is a wonderful time for cancer control in Africa! Through AORTIC and other initiatives, we now have a dedicated, enthusiastic, continental workforce along the entire cancer continuum. I intend to help us leverage our collective strengths and connections to innovate and develop collaborative, region-appropriate, evidence-based, data-driven solutions that help us improve journeys for cancer patients in Africa and to address current gaps.”
This election adds to many other appointments for Dr Mutebi in recognition of her work in cancer care and research. Earlier this year, she was appointed by the Health Secretary to co-chair a government task force tasked to design an effective cancer management structure in Kenya.
She is the President of the Kenya Society of Hematology and Oncology (KESHO), the Chair of the Commonwealth Taskforce for the elimination of Cervical Cancer and sits on the board of directors of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) where she represents Africa.
She is a commissioner with three Lancet commissions on Women and cancer, Cancer in sub-Saharan Africa and Breast Cancer and heads the African cancer survivorship working group that is dedicated to developing continental research that reflects patient-reported outcomes and quality of life and has developed and helped implement both local and regional cancer policy.
Dr Mutebi, was the first female Breast Surgeon in Kenya. She has been involved in extensive research geared towards improving the management and treatment of breast cancer patients. In 2019 alongside Dr Radovan Boca also from AKUH,N, she pioneered the introduction of, ‘Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator’ (DIEP) flap in East Africa. The procedure involves harvesting own body tissue from a breast cancer patient and making a new breast for a patient who have had a mastectomy, offering hope to breast cancer survivors.
