By Lenah Bosibori
On 17th November 2025, the world observed the first-ever World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, calling on nations to “Act Now: Eliminate Cervical Cancer” through vaccination, screening, and treatment.
In Kenya, the Ministry of Health has scaled up prevention efforts, including HPV vaccination for eligible girls since 2019 and expanded HPV testing and treatment for women. This year, the government introduced a single-dose HPV vaccine schedule for all 10-year-old girls, a move experts say will significantly improve protection against cervical cancer.
To mark the day, KILELE Health Association, in partnership with Ultra Runners Kenya and Arch Treks Safaris, staged a symbolic challenge: 10 ultra-runners summited Mt. Kenya’s Point Lenana (15,345 ft) within 10 hours, representing the 10 women Kenya loses every day to cervical cancer.
The run kicked off a month-long awareness and fundraising campaign, encouraging Kenyans to take action by vaccinating girls, promoting screening for women, and supporting those undergoing treatment. The Ultra-Team will return in January 2026 for a double summit challenge across three peaks, coinciding with Kenya’s National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, with survivors and caregivers joining.
“KILELE Health has been leading a national movement of survivors and caregivers hiking mountains and using storytelling and advocacy to raise awareness,” said Benda Kithaka, Executive Director of KILELE Health Association. “Cervical cancer is preventable, treatable, and eliminable—but only if we keep it consistently in the national conversation and encourage our people to Act Now.”
The initiative also ties into the Africa Cervical Health Alliance (ACHA), which will launch the ACHA ASPIRE Scorecard on 24th November 2025. The tool tracks HPV vaccination, screening, treatment, governance, and financing across Africa, aiming to generate evidence to drive policy, advocacy, and civil-society-led action.
Through these efforts, KILELE Health aims to ensure that no woman suffers or dies silently from a preventable disease.