By KT Reporter
Second phase construction of the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Center at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) is set to begin this month following a new investment of 92 billion shillings by the Government of Uganda. This was revealed by Dr. Jackson Orem, UCI Executive Director, during a guided tour of the facility for the newly inaugurated board.
Construction of the center, the first of its kind in East Africa and the second on the African continent, began in July last year. Orem explained that the project’s funding was planned in phases, with the second phase estimated to cost 250 billion shillings.
According to experts, the state-of-the-art PET testing infrastructure can reveal the metabolic or biochemical function of tissues and organs. Orem noted that the technology is more specific in identifying cancers, enabling more accurate tests and timely diagnosis.
Currently, 36,000 new cancer cases are identified annually in Uganda, yet 80% of these patients die within a year of diagnosis, partly due to late detection. At any given time, 70,000 to 80,000 people in Uganda are living with cancer, with the majority battling cervical, breast, prostate, esophageal cancers, and lymphomas. Preparation for the PET project started in 2022, with plans to complete it within four years.
Orem said these innovations stemmed from a crisis about ten years ago when the institute’s only radiotherapy equipment broke down, prompting the development of a major infrastructure plan. Dr. Damalie Nakanjako, Chairperson of the UCI Board, said the institute’s current priority is early diagnosis, the key to saving cancer patients from unnecessary death.
She highlighted plans for regional centers in Arua, Gulu, Mbale, and Mbarara, aimed at decongesting the Mulago Hill facility and bringing screening services closer to communities. She added that in the next one to two years, Uganda will have state-of-the-art equipment to serve both local and regional patients. Recruitment of a multidisciplinary team is underway to support the decentralization of services.
Once complete, the PET Center will also be used for diagnosing certain heart and brain conditions, with ten percent of services allocated to ailments beyond cancer, Orem said.
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