Story by Sherine Atieno and Photos by Lorraine Anyango
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) is laying a strong foundation for improved paediatric cancer outcomes through a strategic partnership with Afya Analytics. The collaboration focuses on transforming existing health data into actionable, verifiable, and ethically governed insights.
The engagement, held at JOOTRH during a courtesy call by an Afya Analytics delegation, centered on a vital question: What happens when data protection is not embedded into medical programs from the start? Both parties agreed that gaps in data governance often emerge too late, creating avoidable legal and operational challenges.
To address this, Afya Analytics emphasized its commitment to “data protection by design,” ensuring that anonymization and legal compliance are embedded at every stage. Given the sensitivity of paediatric medical records, the partnership prioritizes early collaboration with JOOTRH’s data protection and legal teams.
Afya-analytics is willing to support in integrating the data systems to enhance efficiency and data accuracy especially for longitudinal care in oncology and sickle cell. They are also looking at building a system that would make it possible to analyze data for easy consumption.
They are also looking at integrating data between referring facilities which are about 21 counties
Importantly, the initiative will enhance rather than replace the hospital’s existing Afya KE system. The goal is to turn routine clinical data into insights that support early diagnosis, treatment planning, and research.
CEO Dr. Joshua Okise expressed optimism, noting that JOOTR H’s fully electronic workflow allows the hospital to demonstrate clear data on patient volumes and outcomes. This evidence is essential when advocating for specialized oncology equipment. Ultimately, the partnership aims to generate the research-grade data necessary to inform paediatric cancer care for years to come.
