Lilly to provide funding to support Kenya’s AMPATH Oncology Institute

Lilly has announced that it will be providing a donation of funding to support the activities of Kenya's AMPATH oncology institute.

The company will contribute $1 million (653,700 pounds) to the organisation to help equip a new oncology center, hire additional staff and train local healthcare professionals, thus facilitating screening, treatment and palliative care for more people in the country.

AMPATH (Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare) was created in response to the HIV crisis in western Kenya in 2001. The cancer-focused AMPATH Oncology Institute was launched in 2009 as an extension of this.

Its current team includes ten clinicians, six core nurses and an oncology pharmacist. The institute received nearly 10,000 patient visits last year and is one of only two cancer centres in Kenya, with demand for services greatly outstripping supply.

Dr Sue Mahony, senior vice-president and president of Lilly Oncology, said: "It's exciting to be able to make a meaningful difference for people in Kenya today, while finding new ways to help more people tomorrow."

This comes after the firm also recently donated $92,000 to fund camp scholarships as part of the American Diabetes Association's US summer camp programme.