Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital has raised concern over the growing burden of cancer in the Tooro sub-region, with health officials urging communities to embrace prevention and regular screening.
Dr Archibald Bahiizi Ssebahire, the Executive Consultant at the hospital, says at least one in every 40 patients seeking care at the facility has cancer or manifestations of the disease, while one in every 30 patients is considered at risk of cancer. He says the figures point to an increasing cancer burden among the population served by the regional referral hospital.
Dr Ssebahire says the hospital currently screens for several types of cancer, including breast, prostate and liver cancer, as part of efforts to promote early detection and treatment. He says although cancer remains a growing health burden, many cases can be prevented through lifestyle changes, vaccination, regular screening and early detection.
Dr Ssebahire identifies excessive alcohol consumption, tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and exposure to potentially harmful pesticides and other environmental substances as some of the risk factors requiring greater public attention.
Statistics from the Uganda Cancer Institute also show a 14 per cent increase in cancer diagnoses among children. The institute says cervical cancer remains the most common cancer in Uganda, alongside prostate, breast, oesophageal and liver cancers, as well as leukaemia and other forms of the disease.
Dr Ssebahire says communities should not wait until people develop symptoms before seeking screening, urging the public to make use of cancer screening services available at health centres and hospitals.
He says cancer prevention and screening should be treated as a shared responsibility involving families, health workers, cultural and religious leaders, political leaders and the wider community.
Meanwhile, efforts are also underway to mobilise resources for cancer treatment. The message came as the Rotary fraternity in Uganda prepares for the annual Cancer Run scheduled for August 30, with a target of raising five billion shillings towards the construction of a cancer treatment ward at St Francis Hospital Nsambya in Kampala.
Caroline Oshabe Barinyenka, the branch manager of Centenary Bank in Fort Portal, says the initiative is intended to restore hope and improve access to specialised cancer treatment for patients.
Anne Kalinzi, a resident of Fort Portal, says the run will allow the community to contribute to expanding cancer treatment services in the country. She says many people have lost friends and relatives to cancer, making the fight against the disease a collective responsibility-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
