On 17 November 2025, as the world marked the 1st World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day under the WHO global theme “ACT NOW: Eliminate Cervical Cancer,” KILELE Health Association, in partnership with Ultra Runners Kenya and Arch Treks Safaris, led a bold and symbolic national moment on the slopes of Mt. Kenya; 10 ultra-runners ran up and down Mt. Kenya’s Point Lenana (15,345 ft) within 10 hours, in honor of the 10 women Kenya loses every day to cervical cancer.

The activity, themed “Summiting Mountains for Cancer Prevention,” served as a call to action urging government, communities, health systems, and individuals to unite in preventing avoidable cervical cancer deaths through HPV vaccination, early screening, and equitable access to care.

The Challenge also served as a national awareness platform to:

• Amplify the urgency of HPV vaccination for girls aged 10–14
• Promote early detection, routine screening, and community education
• Inspire stigma reduction and survivor-centered care
• Advocate for increased domestic financing for cervical cancer prevention

Why Mt. Kenya? The Symbolism Behind the Summit

Cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in Kenya, with approximately 5,211 new cases and 3,211 deaths annually despite being largely preventable through vaccination, screening, and timely treatment. Prevention efforts continue to face persistent barriers: limited access to information, stigma, gendered health inequities, and low prioritization.

Mt. Kenya symbolized the steep climb women face, from delayed diagnosis to navigating fragmented health systems. It also represented resilience, collective effort, and possibility: a reminder that elimination is achievable when action is intentional and sustained.

For months leading up to the summit, KILELE Health had been hiking alongside cervical cancer survivors and caregivers across different terrains, using physical wellness as a tool for healing, visibility, and advocacy. The Mt. Kenya challenge became the culmination of this year-long journey.

Athletes as Advocates

The ultra-runners were not only athletes; they became health advocates. Each dedicated the climb to women personally known to them; mothers, daughters, sisters, friends. Every step symbolized resistance against delayed diagnosis, misinformation, and silence. Reaching the summit sent a clear message: if Kenya can overcome this climb, it can eliminate cervical cancer.

Among the runners was Dr. Stan, whose participation underscored the role of healthcare professionals beyond clinic walls, and male champions like Limo Kipkemoi, who used the climb to call on men to actively support HPV vaccination for girls aged 10–14 and to stand with women throughout their health journeys. Other runners emphasized the importance of community support, early detection, and open conversations around cervical cancer.

“The Mt. Kenya KILELE Challenge is not merely a physical test; it is a symbolic climb for every Kenyan girl and woman whose life should never be lost to a disease we can prevent,” said Benda Kithaka, Executive Director, KILELE Health Association.
“It is a call for sustained action and collective responsibility toward HPV vaccination, screening, and survivor support.”

Impact of the Challenge

Through coordinated media engagement and a robust digital storytelling campaign, the challenge reached over one million people online, with published stories, videos, interviews, and social media content amplifying messages on prevention, early detection, and survivorship.

“This wasn’t about one day on a mountain,” noted Nyaruai Muhoro, Race Director, Ultra Runners Kenya.
“It was about using visibility to shift conversations to remind people that cervical cancer elimination is achievable when communities, men, health systems, and policymakers move together. This partnership with KILELE Health has shown that sport can be a powerful tool for public health advocacy and social change.”

The summit also marked the launch of a month-long cervical cancer awareness and fundraising campaign, reinforcing that advocacy does not end at the finish line.

Why This Matters

The WHO has set a clear vision: a world where cervical cancer is eliminated as a public health problem. Achieving this vision requires more than policy, it requires commitment from government and private sector, survivors to share their lived experiences, and action that resonates.

By turning a mountain into a message, the 10 for 10 Mt. Kenya Challenge demonstrated that advocacy can be bold, human, and impossible to ignore. And if a mountain can be climbed in ten hours for prevention, then cervical cancer can be eliminated in our lifetime.

What’s Next

On 24 November 2025, KILELE Health, through the Africa Cervical Health Alliance (ACHA), will launch the ACHA ASPIRE Scorecard, a civil society accountability tool tracking progress on cervical cancer prevention, access to care, governance, and financing across Africa.

To close Cervical Cancer Awareness Month in January2026, the ultra-runners will return for a symbolic follow-up run and will be joined by survivors and caregivers reinforcing that elimination is not a single event, but a continuous national commitment.