Worsening cases of cancer

Health ministry says no money for treatment, urges prevention

Kampala, Uganda | Patricia Akankwatsa | Cancer has become one of the major public health problems in Uganda with 34,008 new cases recorded in 2020 and over 22,000 deaths.

Dr Jackson Orem the Executive Director, of Uganda Cancer Institute, revealed this at the inaugural Africa Cancer Initiative Conference held in Kampala between Feb 02 and 03 ahead of World Cancer Day on Feb 04. The two-day event was held under the theme, “Uniting our voices and taking action to close the cancer gap”.

Orem said the top most common cancers in Uganda include cervical, followed by Kaposi Sarcoma which mostly affects those with HIV and breast cancer.

“These cancers are mainly caused by infections, genetics, ageing and lifestyle,” he said.

According to World Health Organisation, cancer is a generic term for a large group of diseases that can affect any part of the body at any time.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, said Ugandans need to focus on prevention as a cheaper option to fight cancer since the country lacks resources to treat cancer patients.

“The cheapest and best option is prevention. My appeal to all of you is to be advocates of prevention, encourage each other to involve in physical exercises as well as encourage one another to go for screening,” she said.

Aceng also pointed out the need to support community health workers that help provide information to the grassroots, routine check-ups, and minding diets and vaccination.

According to The Union for International Control (UICC), which drives the campaign for World Cancer Day, most preventable cancers are caused by tobacco use and the consumption of alcohol and ultra-processed foods; including sugary beverages.

Nearly half of all deaths due to cancer – 4.45 million out of more than nine million in 2019 – are caused by known modifiable risk factors, with smoking, alcohol consumption and high body mass index (BMI) among the top three.

Sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods are known drivers of obesity, defined as a BMI above 30, like tobacco and alcohol, are potentially addictive. These products are marketed by companies whose corporate interests often outweigh concerns for global health.

“Millions of avoidable cancer deaths are caused by unhealthy products sold by heartless companies who interfere in policy debates and misuse science to secure a favourable commercial environment. As we celebrate World Cancer Day, UICC stands ready to support governments in their efforts to limit people’s exposure to tobacco, alcohol and ultra-processed food products,” said Cary Adams, CEO of the Union for International Cancer Control.

Speaking on behalf of World Health Organisation (WHO) country representative, Dr Hafisa Kasule, the country team advisor on non-communicable diseases at WHO said that there is a need to improve access to healthcare, particularly for rural and underserved populations, and promote health literacy and cancer education programs.

She also said there is a need to integrate services for cancer and other non-communicable diseases as much as possible such that patients are helped out.

“This can be done by strengthening cancer care and treatment systems; which includes improving the quality of cancer care and treatment, increasing access to cancer treatments, and expanding support and rehabilitation services,” she said.