Movember Uganda – changing the face of men’s health

By Sarah Namulondo

Movember Uganda a global prostate cancer awareness and fundraising campaign has finally come to an end.

The campaign was aimed at changing the face of men’s health by encouraging men to go for early prostate cancer testing, detection, diagnosis and effective treatment to cure this preventable cancer.

Since the campaign began we have been receiving more men at the cancer institute for prostate cancer testing, Dr Fred Okuku, a medical oncologist/physician said.

He said that before they were receiving very few men but with this campaign about 100 patients come in to be tested every day.

Andro Koutsoudis, a nurse at Victoria Health Center said they were fully booked throughout the month and were forced to end the testing campaign on Dec 8 because the number of men exceeded their expected turn up

Throughout the month of November Movember Uganda with their partners have been fundraising for this cause and the money got from this fundraising was handed over to the rotary club with whom they are partners to carry out a nationwide campaign and testings in the 70 districts with rotary clubs.

Stephen Mwanje, the district governor of the rotary club on receiving the money said he is very excited that he has new partners now to support the cause since the rotary club has by far been trying to raise breast cancer awareness alongside prostate cancer but with many limitations.

He thanked all Movember partners for the great cause and assured them of results.

The campaign was spear headed by Victoria University and Victoria Health Care Center, Cancer Institute, Grameen Foundation and the Uganda Rotary Club.