Uganda Cancer Institute will have 5 Radiotherapy machines by end of June 2022.

On February 4th every year, the world commemorates the World Cancer Day,  a global initiative that creates awareness about Cancer.

While  addressing the press at Uganda Media center in Kampala Doctor Nixon Niyonzima a researcher working on molecular characterization of cancers in sub-saharan Africainformed the public that through funding from the government of Uganda, the Uganda Cancer Institute at its headquarters in Mulago will have a total of five functioning Radiotherapy machines by the end of June this year to further extend their services to millions of Ugandans across the country.

Of recent, research shows that every year  about 10million people across the world succumb to this disease a figure that is higher than total deaths of Malaria, HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis combined.

Reports further indicate that if immediate action is not taken, the number of these deaths Worldwide are likely to shoot up and by the year 2030 13million people will be dying from Cancer.

The World Cancer Day is one of the most important health awareness days led by the Union for International Cancer Control and for the next three years a designed theme of “Closing the care gap” will be followed to promote greater equity in health care provision for all populations.

This campaign was selected mainly to expose significant barriers related to social economic factors that prevent a number of people from accessing diagnostics, treatment and care plus life-saving prevention services.

According to the Uganda Cancer Institute, more than 80% of cancer patients they currently register present late stage disease thus leading to a high mortality rate among adult cancer patients, but they have hope that this situation can change if people are screened early and the right  treatment is given.

On this day, the Uganda Cancer Institute took the initiative to call upon women mostly in rural areas to take time off work and go for screening to avoid presenting them selves when cancer has advanced because then its difficult to treat.

The Uganda Cancer Institute also elaborated its plans of establishing regional Cancer centers in Gulu, Arua, Mbale and Mbarara to improve access of care to all meaning that patients in those places will be receiving holistic treatment from their regions without traveling to Kampala.

“Efficient and widely accessible cancer services will save countless individuals from a premature and often painful death plus also greater equity in health care will also strengthen families and communities” the Institute officials added.

In addition to that, the Uganda Cancer Institute with funding from the government of Uganda is expanding care infrastructure at the Mulago campus with construction of a new 8-level in patient building, a two-block six- level ADB funded building that will house facilities like thecancer laboratory, MRI, cancer surgical suites, outpatient clinics, ICU among many other facilities to improve patient care.

Spearheaded by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the World Cancer day aims to save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and improving education about the disease while calling for action from governments and individuals across the world.