The County Government of Uasin Gishu on Monday strengthened its international health partnerships after Deputy Governor Evans Kapkea hosted a Swedish delegation led by Mr. Peter Berggren, PhD.

The meeting focused on advancing collaboration in genetic counselling and genomics between the county and Moi University.

The high-level courtesy call marked a significant step toward leveraging global expertise to enhance early cancer diagnosis, prevention, and management within the county.

Speaking during the meeting, DG Kapkea reaffirmed the county government’s commitment to strengthening strategic partnerships, emphasizing the urgent need to develop robust policy frameworks to support early cancer detection and effective disease management.

“Strong partnerships and clear policy frameworks are critical to ensuring that emerging medical fields such as genomics translate into better health outcomes for our people,” said the Deputy Governor.

Promotive and Preventive Health Chief Officer Dr. Paul Wangwe underscored the importance of identifying cancer risk factors and scaling up public sensitization on genetic counselling. He noted that closer collaboration with primary healthcare facilities is essential to ensure early detection and timely referral of cancer cases.

“Early identification at the community and primary care levels remains key to reducing cancer-related morbidity and mortality,” Dr. Wangwe said.

Mr. Peter Berggren, PhD, noted that the partnership will prioritize enhanced communication, awareness creation, and public education on cancer prevention and genetic counselling.

He added that the collaboration will also focus on capacity building and knowledge exchange between Uasin Gishu County and Moi University.

According to Prof. Simeon Mining and Dr. Risper Tororei from Moi University, the engagement reflects Uasin Gishu County’s growing resolve to position itself as a leader in preventive healthcare, research, and innovation by leveraging international collaborations to strengthen cancer care and genomics services.

The delegation also participated in technical sessions that included an overview of the Uasin Gishu County health system, the Swedish genetic counselling model, and the International Medical Program (IMP), laying the groundwork for practical collaboration and future implementation.