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The 2025 iCMLf Prize is awarded to Professor Nicholas Anthony Othieno-Abinya, an eminent hemato-oncologist from Nairobi for his exceptional dedication to CML care in Kenya and beyond. This unique iCMLf award acknowledges individuals who have made outstanding contributions to improving CML treatment and care in low- and middle-income countries. Professor Abinya’s unwavering dedication to advancing CML care, his pioneering contributions to hematology and oncology in Kenya, and his commitment to mentoring future medical professionals make him a truly deserving recipient of this Prize.
“Prof. Abinya has overseen the most efficient medical access program in Africa, ensuring CML patients in Kenya have access to tyrosine kinase inhibitors since 2002. He remains the undisputed father of oncology in Kenya.”
- Peter Omondi Oyiro (Kenyatta National Hospital Teaching and Referral Hospital)
A lifelong commitment to advancing CML care in Kenya and beyond
Professor Abinya’s contributions to CML care in Kenya have been transformative. Since the early 2000s, he has played an instrumental role in establishing and running the Gleevec International Patient Assistance Program (GIPAP) at the Nairobi Hospital, offering access to life-saving treatment for CML patients who would otherwise have none. His clinical leadership ensured that the program remained a pillar of hope for patients across Kenya, expanding access to decentralised centres outside Nairobi, such as Eldoret and Mombasa, reducing the burden of long-distance travel for treatment.
For over two decades, Professor Abinya has provided pro bono care to CML patients, running clinics every alternate week and mentoring over 20 oncologists in the region. His commitment to education ensures the continuity of quality CML care and fosters the next generation of hematologists and oncologists in Kenya and beyond.
In addition to his clinical work, Professor Abinya has made significant contributions to cancer research, with publications in renowned peer-reviewed journals. His work has enhanced the understanding of CML and hematologic malignancies in the African context, improving treatment strategies and informing policy decisions.
A distinguished clinical career
Professor Abinya has had a long and distinguished clinical and academic career in oncology and hematology. He is a Consultant Medical Oncologist at the Nairobi Hospital Cancer Centre and previously served as a Professor of Medicine at the University of Nairobi, where he directed the Medical Oncology Fellowship Program. He also led the Hematology/Oncology division at both the University of Nairobi and Kenyatta National Hospital. Additionally, he was the Head of Oncology at Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, between 2009 and 2010.
He holds a Master’s degree in Internal Medicine from the University of Nairobi and completed a fellowship in Medical Oncology at the Royal London Hospital (University of London) in 1992. He is also a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. His clinical expertise and leadership have shaped cancer treatment protocols in Kenya and helped advance the field of hematology-oncology in the region.
Professor Nicholas Abinya’s extraordinary commitment to CML patients, his leadership in medical oncology, and his dedication to improving healthcare access in low- and middle-income countries exemplify the values of the iCMLf Prize. His impact will be felt for generations to come, through the lives he has touched, the doctors he has mentored, and the systems he has helped build.
