WEST NILE RENEWS CALL FOR REGIONAL CANCER CENTRE
Participant in the15th Cancer Run at OPM ground in Arua City
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Leaders in West Nile have renewed the call for government to establish a regional cancer treatment centre to enable people in the region easily access services and reduce costs associated with transport and other expenses incurred while seeking treatment in Kampala.
The leaders previously made this appeal, hoping to reduce burden on people from the region who travel long distances in accessing cancer treatment services which is always expensive.
Speaking at the 15th Rotary Cancer Run event, Arua City Mayor, Alionzi Lawrence, noted that establishing a cancer centre in the region would help reduce this burden on patients by bringing services closer to them.
Alionzi said health facilities in Arua City are overwhelmed by the high number of patients seeking cancer related services, including those coming from as far as Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and parts of Central African Republic.
Meanwhile, in Obongi, the District Woman Member of Parliament, Harriet Joyo, who lost two close relatives to cancer, called for the establishment of specialised hospitals for treatment and management of cancer in West Nile.
She said existing health facilities in the region, like Arua Regional Referral Hospital, could also be equipped to provide specialized cancer services, including treatment and research.
Local governments in West Nile have also renewed their call for a cancer treatment centre to be established in the region. This follows previous appeals made in different forums.
The Executive Director of West Nile Development Assocition (WENDA), Moses Akuma Odims, said that the facility would help manage cancer cases within the region and reduce the need for patients to travel upto Kampala for treatment.
Odims also encouraged people to undergo regular cancer screening to know their status and start early treatment in case the disease is detected, noting that it can be cured when detected early.
Last year, the Uganda Cancer Institute announced that it had partnered with Muni University and secured land for a proposed regional cancer centre in West Nile as part of efforts to bring cancer treatment and management services closer to the people.
This year’s edition of Rotary Cancer Run was organised to raise 5 billion shillings and proceeds will be used too support the construction of a radiotherapy centre at Nsambya Hospital in Kampala.
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, accounting to 10 million deaths in 2024 alone, according to World Health Organisation.
The good news for West Nile and Northern Ugandais that Rotary has earmarked Arua for hosting a new, modern cancer for the region, whose establishement will start next year as Nsambya gets done.
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