EMBU, 28 August 2026: The Beyond Zero Initiative, in partnership with Shinnyo-en – Kenya and the Embu County Department of Health, has strengthened access to cervical cancer diagnostic services in Embu County through the commissioning and handover of a newly acquired portable colposcope.
The equipment is expected to strengthen the link between cervical cancer screening, follow-up and appropriate care, particularly for women who require further assessment following an abnormal or positive screening result. Its portability will support outreach services and improve access for women in underserved communities who may otherwise travel long distances for specialist care.
The intervention forms part of Beyond Zero’s three-year cervical cancer prevention project, launched in August 2024 in partnership with Embu County and other stakeholders. The project seeks to increase screening uptake while strengthening timely follow-up, referral and treatment.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, CECM for Health, Hon. Jamal Runyenje, said the partnership had enhanced the county’s capacity to respond to cervical cancer through community mobilisation, skilled healthcare workers, improved laboratory services and appropriate diagnostic equipment. He noted that the collaboration was particularly valuable because interventions were co-created around the county’s needs.
“Because this was a programme that we were able to co-create together with the Ministry of Health, it was not a programme that was forced on us. It was a programme that we had been able to co-create together, so that it aligns with what we are able to do,” said Hon. Runyenje.
Beyond Zero Technical Advisor, Ms. Jane Kiragu, said the partnership seeks to address barriers that continue to prevent women from accessing timely screening, treatment and follow-up care. She emphasised that although cervical cancer is preventable, distance and limited access to diagnostic services can delay care.
Kiragu said the portable colposcope would bring diagnostic assessment closer to women, particularly those in hard-to-reach areas. “She should not have to choose between that care and her daily wage,” she said, stressing the importance of reducing the practical and economic burden associated with accessing follow-up services.
Representing Shinnyo-en Kenya, Mr. Saschio reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to the partnership, noting that its work is guided by “the spirit of altruism, the practice of caring for the well-being of others and acting with compassion in our daily lives.”
By combining technology, skilled healthcare workers, community mobilisation and stronger referral systems, the partnership is advancing a community-centred approach to cervical cancer prevention and follow-up, with the goal of ensuring that women across Embu County can access timely, quality care closer to home.
The commissioning was accompanied by practical training for healthcare workers to ensure they have the skills required to safely and effectively use the equipment. The colposcope will complement, rather than replace, cervical cancer screening by supporting further diagnostic assessment following abnormal results.
