Fighting Cancer; Uganda Development Cooperation calls for more effort in creating awareness.
By Teddy Namayanja
The Uganda Development Cooperation (UDC), has called upon all stakeholders involved in the fight against cancer to put more emphasis and effort in creating awareness.
The call was made earlier today at an event in Kampala, where UDC handed over a 5.75M shillings donation cheque towards the 2024 Rotary Cancer Run event themed; ‘Spread Magic in every step’, aimed at raising funds for the completion of a RadioTherapy Centre at St. Francis Hospital Nsambya in Kampala.
Head Public Relations, UDC.Denis Dokoria, noted that the biggest challenge in the fight against cancer is creating awareness and early detection.
“We believe that as we go along, the area of prevention other than cure needs to be strengthened. With the run, we’re dealing with the cure bit of it but we believe even the prevention bit is very key. As an institution, we would like to call upon Ugandans, Industrialists and all people of good will to come out and join us on this noble cause “. Dokoria said
According to the World Health Organisation’s Globocan report 2022, there was an estimated 20 million new cancer cases globally and 9.7 million deaths. 55℅ of these occurred in less developed countries.
In Uganda, 34,008 new cancer cases were registered and 22,992 deaths occurred.
One of the biggest challenges faced by cancer patients in Uganda is the enormous delay in initiation and continuation of cancer treatment which is attributed to poor socio-economic status of the patients, inadequate infrastructure for cancer care and inefficience in the health care system.
Rotarian (RTN) Ritah Baraka, the Vice Chair Person Cancer Run 2024 says they hope to improve on the inefficiences once the construction of the RadioTherapy Center at Nsambya Hospital is completed.
“We are going to have a RadioTherapy Centre with all the equipment that actually moulds your body, detects exactly where the cancer is so that when the treatment goes in, you spend like 15 minutes in the radio machine and come out. This is going to increase the speed that someone gets treated because everything is in one center. Remember it will have beds and the after care is going to be provided in that same place”. Baraka noted.
The five common cancers in Uganda are Cervix, Kaposi Sarcoma, Breast, Prostate and Non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
The Rotary Cancer Run 2024 aims at raising UGX 4bn to support the ongoing construction of the Radio Therapy Centre at Nsambya Hospital.
The event fosters collaboration among Government Bodies, Health Care Institutions, Non profit Organizations and the Private Sector to establish a comprehensive network that effectively addresses the challenges possed by cancer.
It will also serve as a platform to educate communities about different cancer types, the risk factors and significance of regular screening.
Under the leadership of District Governor Stephen Mwanje, Rotarians in Uganda embarked on ambitious project in 2011 to build a cancer ward that would provide specialized treatment, early detection and care for cancer patients.
This vision gave rise to the Uganda Rotary Cancer program aiming to establish a centre of excellence dedicated to saving lives and combating cancer.
St. Francis Hospital Nsambya donated the land for the center and this marked the ground breaking ceremony on April 22, 2011.
The Rotary Cancer Run was later launched in 2012 and has been held annually for eleven years, with overwhelming public support.
While progress has been made, the dream of establishing a specialized cancer center of excellence remains unfulfilled.
The ultimate goal is to construct two bunkers to house Linear Accelerators and associated equipment at Nsambya Hospital.
Foundation work commenced and now the runs aim at securing UGX 13.8bn to complete the construction and acquire the essential equipment.
Thousands of participants are expected to take part in the run.
