Lilian Masese Mwale

Kenyan gynecologist pioneering cervical cancer prevention in sub-Saharan Africa

Lilian Masese Mwale is a groundbreaking Kenyan doctor transforming women's healthcare in Africa. A graduate of the University of Nairobi Medical School, she witnessed the tragic impact of cervical cancer - the leading cause of cancer deaths among African women. In 2010, she founded Gynocare Foundation, which provides free cervical cancer screenings using the innovative Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) method. Her mobile clinics have screened over 100,000 women in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, detecting cancers at early stages when treatment is most effective. Dr. Mwale also developed a training program certifying local nurses as cervical cancer specialists, creating a sustainable healthcare workforce. Her work reduced cervical cancer mortality rates in partner communities by 40% in 5 years. Recognized as a TED Fellow, she advocates for HPV vaccination programs and lobbies governments to include cervical cancer screening in national health budgets. Her 2018 documentary 《The Invisible Epidemic》 brought global attention to this often-neglected health crisis, inspiring similar initiatives in Nigeria and Zimbabwe.