Getrude Mwambui is a registered nurse and midwife and health leader in Kenya. She currently serves as a senior nursing officer at Mariakani Sub County Hospital, where she coordinates nursing services and leads the newly established Oncology Department. Gertrude is focused on provision of high-quality nursing services, health promotion and advocacy, health equity, community strategy advocacy in non-communicable diseases (NCD) care and control, and health workforce capacity building. Getrude began her nursing career in 2013 at St. Luke’s Mission Hospital as a nursing officer in charge of directing nursing services. Her experience includes technical advisor for two donor-funded projects, coordinating camps and outreaches and serving as a post-partum family planning program trainer. She joined the Kilifi County government in 2016 at Maria Sub County serving as a clinical nurse, then a nursing officer leading to appointments to local school boards and health committees, women and youth mentorship programs sharing her expertise in relief programs, outreaches, health education, NCD care and control, palliative care and cancer survivor support. Gertrude earned her BSN degree from Kenya Methodist University and is currently pursuing an MSN in Oncology at Kenyatta University.
Applied Project Title: HPV Self-Test Community-Based Screening Model: Leveraging a Community Health Strategy and Digital Solutions to Increase Cervical Cancer Screening Uptake
Cervical cancer is the second-most diagnosed cancer in Kenya and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality with an incidence of nearly 2,500 cases per year and annual deaths of more than 1,650. With low screening rates, and a majority of women seeking treatment when cancer is in an advanced stage, incidence of this preventable disease will continue to grow. This project examines implementation of an HPV DNA self-test to improve cervical cancer diagnostic rates at the primary level. Self-test kits will be distributed to all women of reproductive age, packaged and collected, with positive cases referred for immediate treatment. The innovation incorporates a digital platform to accelerate advocacy, tracking and dissemination of cervical cancer information and resources.