Varian Establishes Direct Operation in Kenya
PALO ALTO, California and NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- At a grand opening ceremony attended by local dignitaries (H.E. Governor Prof. Anyan'g Nyong'o – Governor of Kisumu County, Vice Chairman – CoG Health Committee; Hon. Dr. Swarup Mishra Kiprop Arap Chelulei – MP – Kesses, Group Chairman, Founder Mediheal Hospitals, Vice Chairman - Parliament Health Committee; Dr. Anne Wambui Ng'ang'a – Ministry of Health – Kenya. Cancer Control Programme), Varian (NYSE: VAR) announced it has established a direct sales and service operation in the Republic of Kenya, to better serve the growing cancer population in the country and the East Africa region. Varian's Kenya entity will be based in Nairobi and will employ sales, service and support staff.
According to the World Health Organization, in Kenya over 47,000 new cancer cases were diagnosed in 2018 and it is estimated to reach over 115,000 new cases a year in 2040. Across all of Africa over 1 million new cases were diagnosed in 2018 and estimated to grow to over 2.1 million a year by 2040.
"With the increasing need for advanced cancer treatment in Kenya and the region, we believe it is the right time to establish direct sales and service to assist the oncology care community," said Jean-Luc Devleeschauwer, president, Varian Oncology Systems EMEIA. "Varian's vision is a world without fear of cancer, and with steps like this we a facilitating greater access to care for patients and moving closer to realizing our vision."
Varian has historically sold and serviced its technology-leading radiotherapy systems to Kenyan hospitals via a Nairobi-based distributor, but now intends to sell and service its systems directly starting this month.
Varian has installed 174 radiotherapy systems across Africa over the past 25 years, including eight in Kenya. In 2019 the Nairobi West Hospital in Kenya became the first clinic in the country and in West, Central, and East Africa to begin treating cancer patients using the Varian Halcyon™ radiotherapy system.
About Varian
At Varian, we envision a world without fear of cancer. For more than 70 years, we have developed, built and delivered innovative cancer care technologies and solutions for our clinical partners around the globe to help them treat millions of patients each year. With an Intelligent Cancer Care approach, we are harnessing advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analytics to enhance cancer treatment and expand access to care. Our 10,000 employees across 70 locations keep the patient and our clinical partners at the center of our thinking as we power new victories in cancer care. Because, for cancer patients everywhere, their fight is our fight. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com and follow @VarianMedSys on Twitter.
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