Kisumu First Lady Dorothy Nyong’o will serve as the Global Ambassador for World Ovarian Cancer Coalition.
The coalition made the announcement ahead of World Ovarian Cancer Day expected to be marked on May 8.
Nyong’o will use her position as an ambassador to help raise awareness of ovarian cancer, tackle low health literacy, and empower women in Kenya and across the world to take action to improve equitable access to high-quality, affordable care.
“Sadly, there is a stigma around ovarian cancer for too many in the world, even in 2023, and that is compounded by many societal and economic barriers to health care, not just in my country, Kenya,” said Nyong’o said.
Nyong’o is the Managing Trustee of Africa Cancer Foundation and director of 7th Sense Communications Limited.
“As a founding trustee of Africa Cancer Foundation, I am excited to serve as an Ambassador so we can improve awareness and access for all women – no matter where they live.”
Health experts have warned that the number of new cases of ovarian cancer in Kenya is estimated to increase by more than 130 per cent from 2020 to 2040 if access to high-quality, affordable care does not improve.
World Ovarian Cancer Coalition CEO Clara MacKay has reiterated the need to prioritise ovarian cancer as part of the effort to curb the rising burden of the disease.
“If we don’t take action now, the lives of hundreds of thousands of women in Africa will be lost over the next two decades,” MacKay said.
She noted that working with Nyong’o will help improve the lives of women in Kenya who are living with, or at risk of, ovarian cancer.
The World Ovarian Cancer Coalition is the only global not-for-profit focused on ovarian cancer.
Working with close to 200 patient advocacy organisations around the world, the coalition is determined that every woman with ovarian cancer should have the best chance of survival and the best quality of life – wherever she may live.
