'Stop thinking cervical, breast cancers affect only poor women'

JINJA - People should stop thinking cervical and breast cancers are diseases that affect only the poor people in Uganda, Third Deputy Prime Minister Isanga Rukia Nakadama has warned.

“We all know that cervical cancer is a preventable disease through HPV vaccination, routine screening and treatment. Countries with higher incomes have made cervical cancer a rare disease something almost forgotten but in Uganda, it's taken as a disease for poor people,” she says.

Nakadama says the two diseases have been identified as the leading causes of women's deaths in Uganda, which everyone should act upon now through screening and get treatment once detected.

She adds that while cervical cancer accounts for 22% of all cancer deaths and 35% of all new cancers in Uganda, breast cancer which is second deadly in women accounts for 20% of all cancers as reported by the Uganda Cancer Institute (UHI).

According to Nakadama, this has been partly attributed to the poor intake of the HPV vaccination which was launched in 2015 and aimed at combatting all related illnesses.

The minister, who is also the Mayuge district Woman Member of Parliament, made the remarks on Saturday (October 26, 2024) while officiating at the 6th Fight Women’s Cancer Run organised by Rays of Hope Hospice Jinja held at Gold Club Jinja under the theme: Detect, Treat and Defect Cervical and Breast Cancers.

Minister Nakadama explained that despite the Government’s efforts with developmental partners providing most of the required medicine and treatment, access to it seems to be difficult, especially for the poor rural women who can’t access the Uganda Cancer Institute.

She sadly noted that the five-year survival rate for breast cancer is 50% in Uganda while in high-income countries it is 90% 'because our women either report late for medication or never at all'.

“These numbers are not just statistics, they represent the lives of mothers, daughters and sisters who are often struggling in silence. I am sure that many of us know a woman who has died because of breast or cervical cancer and it is for this reason we have to unite and stop the pain,” Nakadama added.

According to her, Uganda and the World at large have eradicated some diseases before. She said Rays of Hope Hospice Jinja registers a new breast or cervical cancer case daily.

Rays of Hope Hospice Jinja executive director Sylvia Nakami said 61% of patients received have tested positive for either breast or cervical cancers.

“We want to ensure that since cervical cancer is preventable, girls who clock nine years are screened and immunised. We have a bold goal and in 20 years, our target is to have gotten rid of the cancer,” she said.

Rays of Hope Hospice Jinja chairperson board of directors the Rev. James Kivunike said their services cover the 12 districts of Busoga region and a few in central Uganda.

He added that their major challenge was many cancer cases were detected in rural areas but they lack transport to reach the facility.

“It is our humble prayer that the Government supports the hospital with an ambulance to ease on the transport of patients who can’t afford to trek long distances from village to access our facilities,” Kivunike said.

In November 2020, the World Health Organisation launched a global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer and its targets were that by 2030, 90% of girls to be fully vaccinated against HPV at the age of 15 years, 70% of women screened by 35 years and again at 45 while 90% of women with cervical cancer treated.