East African Gazette
Following an estimation of 33,000 Ugandans that are diagnosed with cancer every year, of which only about 7,400 make it for health care at Uganda cancer Institute, Busoga Kingdom has partnered with stakeholders in the health sector to increase awareness of breast and cervical cancers that are becoming a major challenge in the region.
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According to Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) every year 10 million people around the world die from cancer and estimated that 70% of cancer deaths occur in law and middle-income countries and has triggered Busoga Kingdom to raise a red flag.
And its suggest that by 2030, cancer deaths around the world will increase to 13 million people
Cancer situation in Uganda
More than 80% of cancer patients registered at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) present with late – stage (stage 3 and 4) which significantly affects cancer survival
Uganda has 33,000 new cancer cases registered every year but loses 21,300 cancer patients every year which is about 60% of the cases and attributed to a number of those factors where many Uganda lack information about cancer.
Taking an example of breast cancer, the chances of surviving breast cancer can be above 90% if a woman is screened and tested regularly.
Speaking during a prize giving ceremony to winners of the Cancer walk, run and ride held in Jinja City that was organized by Rays of Hope Hospice Jinja, Busoga Kingdom’s second deputy Prime Minister Alhaj Osman Ahmed Noor said the run, walk and ride was aimed at creating more awareness about breast and cervical cancer.
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Osman said that Busoga Kingdom’s Ministry of Health has been doing a lot of sensitisations in the communities about various diseases including cancer and thanked different organisations who had come out and supported the kingdom to see that it also leverages on their expertise, donations and human resource, so that the king’s subjects can live a better life.
He told people at the event to be mindful about their health and encouraged them to do regular check-ups to ensure that they fight diseases like cancer that are killing people.
Owek. Osman thanked sponsors for sponsoring the cancer run event and the media for doing a great job in amplifying the message about cancer prevention to the people.
The executive director of Rays of Hope Hospice Jinja (RHHJ), Sylvia Nakami, said they organized the cancer run to promote screening and prevention of the disease, which affected women globally and to educate people on the risk factors of breast and cervical cancer.
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Nakami said cervical and breast cancer are still a problem in Busoga sub region and expressed the need for all stakeholders in the health sector to join hands in the fight against cancer.
She said that they have HPV vaccines at their Jinja based organization and encouraged parents to take their daughters of 14-years and above, for vaccination and also urged women above 29-years to go for routine free screening.
Busoga Health Forum’s executive director, Moses Kyangwa, said fighting cancer is a responsibility for every one, especially men who have a role in the epidemiology of cervical cancer.
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Kyangwa revealed that Busoga Kingdom’s Ministry of Health through Busoga Health Forum is going to organize a three-day health camp ahead of the royal wedding starting November 15th, 2023 at Busoga Kingdom headquarters and invited all non-government organizations to participate in it.
Quoting Psalms 107:19, Rev. James Kivunike, a board member at Rays of Hope Hospice Jinja, told friends in the fight against cancer to call upon the name of God in this distress adding that God had heard their outcry and would not leave them in that situation but rather heal them of all the diseases including breast and cervical cancer.
Winners of the cancer walk, run and ride were given prizes.
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Most common cancers in men ad women
At the Age-Standardised Incidence Rates for all cancers combined statistics indicates that 109.9 and 91.9 per 100,000 in males and females respectively. In males, the most commonly diagnosed cancers were prostate, oesophagus, stomach, Kaposi’s sarcoma and liver.