Ugandan oncologist elected president of international body

Globally cancer is threatening to overtake infections, as one of the highest causes of death among children. 

For example, currently, in Uganda about 3,000 children are diagnosed with HIV infection every year, while 7,000 are estimated to develop cancer every year.
 
The Uganda Cancer Institute received 512 referrals of children with cancer in 2017, up from 476 in 2016.

Cancer in children is unique from adults. Whereas cancer in children cannot be prevented or even screened, the majority of cases of cancer in children can be cured.
 
While the number of children with cancer is much less compared to adults, curing children with cancer results in saving much higher productive life years because each child that is cured has the chance to live many more years.

In developed countries, 80% of children with cancer are cured. At the Uganda Cancer Institute, 55% of children are alive at one year after being diagnosed with cancer - most of whom are ultimately cured.

Whereas this cure rate still lags behind that in developed countries, it is one of the highest in sub-Sahara Africa and is rapidly improving. 

These improvements in cure of children with cancer in Uganda are being achieved through a highly specialized, dedicated team of paediatric oncologists, paediatric surgeons, radiation oncologists, radiologists, and pathologists as well as a successful partnership of Uganda Cancer Institute, with Texas Children's Hospital, and other local partners including the Ministry of Health.

One of those medical professionals is Dr Joyce Balagadde Kambugu, who was part of the team that set up the paediatric cancer centre at the Uganda Heart Institute at Mulago Hospital. Her vast experience ultimately led her to the presidency of the International Society for Paediatric Oncology (SIOP). 

Find her story in the New Vision on the Her Vision section.