Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Center for Global Oncology and Health Equity and other IU schools and centers hosted eight cancer doctors, scientists and government leaders from Kenya during their 10-day visit to the United States under the auspices of the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program.
The group, which included Hon. Patrick Munene Ntwiga, vice-chair of Department of Health in the Kenyan National Assembly and Dr. Elias Melly, CEO of the National Cancer Institute of Kenya (NCI), spent two days on the IU Indianapolis campus. They met with Dr. Jay Hess, dean of IU School of Medicine; Dennis Murphy, CEO of IU Health; Dr. Kelvin Lee, director of the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center; and Dr. Paul Halverson and Dr. Nir Menachemi, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health founding dean and executive associate dean respectively.
They also toured the cancer center and visited the IU Center for Global Health Equity and Fairbanks School of Public Health. More than a dozen IU faculty and staff members presented on various aspects of cancer care and global health at IU including the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, AMPATH, AMPATH-Oncology and Fairbanks School of Public Health. Dr. Melly presented on the status of cancer care in Kenya.
Two members of the Kenyan delegation, Dr. Melly and Dr. Jesse Elungat Opakas, director of hemato-oncology at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), are valued members of the AMPATH Kenya partnership which IU established more than 30 years ago with MTRH and Moi University School of Medicine. IU continues to be one of the lead institutions in the partnership which now includes sites in Ghana, Mexico and Nepal and the participation of 19 academic health centers around the world.
“We feel privileged because we are learning from the best. Indiana University definitely has made a huge impact in Kenya in general,” said Dr. Melly. “There are a lot of policy innovations that have been generated through research programs, training and education, and care in the western part of the country that have informed policy in the government which is now being replicated across the country.” Dr. Melly became part of AMPATH as a medical student at Moi University, participated in training at IU as a resident and was named head of the Kenyan NCI earlier this year.
“The opportunity that I had to be at IUPUI during my training has really shaped my practice, my career. Having recognition of AMPATH efforts in cancer care, where I have been working and being given an opportunity to serve and help the National government, it is incredible,” he continued. “All the credit actually goes to mentors that have been part of my journey and many teachers, some of whom are part of the IU program, who made investments in the infrastructure that has seen care improve in Kenya.”
The Department of State’s objectives for the visit were:
- To observe the organization, operations, and services of cancer centers in the United States;
- To explore the roles and responsibilities of policy makers in cancer research, management, prevention, and research funding;
- To demonstrate the potential benefits of investments in biomedical research and research training for Kenyan scientists.
“I am so grateful for this opportunity to come and see how things work in Indiana. What has really impressed is the leadership, governance and commitment to the work that is being done here at IU,” said Dr. Opakas, who has worked with Dr. Patrick J. Loehrer, former director of IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center and director of the Center for Global Oncology and Health Equity, for more than 15 years through the AMPATH Kenya partnership.
“The work I have done with Kenyan colleagues is some of the most impactful of my career,” said Dr. Loehrer. “I’m thrilled to be able to welcome this group of distinguished Kenyans to our home at the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center and discuss ways that we can share expertise to improve care for all of our patients,” he added.
In addition to visiting IU, the group also visited the National Cancer Institute; National Institutes of Health; Winship Cancer institute of Emory University; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and American Cancer Society.
Other guests included:
- Samuel Kagima Gathere, senior clinical research scientist, Kenya Medical Research Institute
- Anne Cherono Rugutt Korir, acting principal research scientist, Kenya Medical Research Institute
- Mildred Mugambi, senior corporate communications officer, Kenya National Commission for Science, Technology, and Innovation
- Judith Karimi Otele, health insurance specialist, National Hospital Insurance Fund
- Elizabeth Mithe Siwillis, clinical oncologist, Regional Cancer Center, Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital
“We are really privileged and happy that now a bigger team has come to see how AMPATH and IU global health programs are making a difference not only in Kenya, but in other places,” concluded Dr. Melly. “Big lessons here from the commitment individuals and the institution are putting into activities in the United States. When we return home, we have to make a difference.”
Doctors Adrian Gardner, Jenny Moran, Elias Melly, Jesse Opakas, Patrick Loehrer and Terry Vik work together in the AMPATH Kenya partnership.
The Fairbanks School of Public Health hosted the Kenyan visitors for lunch and shared information about their global health programs.
