21/11/2025
World Leaders' Cancer Summit 2025: Kenya Secures Historic 2027 Host Rights
The National Cancer Institute of Kenya, led the Kenyan Delegation in attending the World Leaders’ Cancer Summit 2025 in Melbourne, Australia, hosted by Cancer Council Victoria.
The World Leaders’ Cancer Summit, which takes place every two years, provides an important forum to embrace opportunities and secure global, coordinated responses to the challenges faced by the cancer and health communities.
This was also an important moment for the nation of Kenya, as the country was officially given the rights to host the 2027 World Leaders Cancer Summit in Nairobi, the first to be held on the African Continent.
In her remarks after receiving the rights, Dr. Emily Barsito, Head of Partnerships, Resource Mobilizations, and Strategic Planning at NCI-K, extended gratitude to the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) for awarding Kenya the opportunity after a highly competitive bidding process.
Securing the rights to host the 2027 Summit demonstrates the world’s recognition of Kenya as a leading country in Africa towards achieving Universal Health Coverage, particularly in the fight against cancer.
The summit provided the Kenyan Delegation, under the leadership of NCI-K CEO, Dr. Elias Melly, with an opportunity to maximize its networking potential by convening with influential global leaders, institutions, and organizations dedicated to advancing cancer control efforts, including:
1. The leadership of The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, hosted by Professor Michael Sullivan, a Paediatric Oncologist and Neuro-Oncologist in the Children's Cancer Centre, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne.
2. Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, hosted by Ashlea Gilmore, Director, Partnerships and Enterprise.
3. UICC President, Ulrika Årehed Kågström, who is also a Secretary-General of the Swedish Cancer Society, board member of the Nordic Cancer Union, and member of the Swedish Government’s Life Science Advisory Group.
4. CEO, Cancer Council Victoria, Todd Harper, together with Dr. Andre Ilbawi, Lead Cancer Control, WHO.
5. Prof. Margare Foti, CEO American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Traditionally, the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit partners with key international organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), etc, to foster global cooperation and drive progress in cancer control policies and practices.