Kadaga calls for cancer screening at lower health centers

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has called for cancer screening at lower health facilities.

Kadaga made the call while officiating as chief guest at the launch of the virtual Rotary Cancer Run at the Rotary Cancer programme offices in Muyenga on Sunday.

For the past 9 years, the run has attracted thousands of participants from Uganda and several cities in the diaspora who have joined efforts towards fighting the cancer.

But unlike previous runs that had people converging in groups to participate, this year’s event had individuals and families running in their vicinity because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Parliament of Uganda has been a major sponsor of the Rotary Cancer Run for the past three years.

Kadaga pledged to rally MPs to support budgeting for screening facilities at the lower health centres.

Kadaga also warned the government against focusing only on the COVID-19 fight and ignoring other diseases that are also a burden on the population.

The chairperson of the Rotary Cancer Program Steven Mwanje noted that cancer kills 60 people every day in Uganda and that 32,000 fresh cases are reported at the cancer institute.

Mwanje revealed that the program has four thematic areas which include offering free screening and eventual treatment, cancer awareness in the population, building infrastructure and building human resource capacity.

He noted that the program in partnership with the media and other partners like Nsambya hospital where the cancer center is located traverses different parts of the country with doctors and nurses to offer free screening services.

He revealed that the program is beginning construction of the bunkers next month in the cancer ward that was completed in 2015.

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