Health 19 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Doctors Push for More Community Outreaches to Enhance Early Disease Detection
Ugandan doctors are advocating for expanded community health outreaches to combat rising disease burdens from curable conditions like cancers, driven by access barriers and late diagnoses. A recent medical camp in Luweero highlighted the urgent need through high screening turnouts and detections. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/doctors-call-for-expanded-outreaches-to-boost-early-diagnosis-5429382
Medical experts in Uganda are urging authorities to scale up community health outreaches to address the growing burden of treatable diseases, attributing the issue to limited access to care and poor awareness.
At a health camp in Luweero on April 18, Dr. Wilson Okot from the Uganda Cancer Institute emphasized that early cancer detection could achieve up to 100% cure rates. He noted that screenings revealed 20% of women with cervical cancer and 16% with breast cancer among every 100 participants.
Julius Ojuka, head nurse at Kiwoko Hospital, pointed out that conditions like malaria, hepatitis B, diabetes, and cancers persist due to delayed diagnoses, often caused by financial hurdles and distant facilities.
The event, organized by Rotary Club of Kitebi with partners including UCI, Kiwoko Hospital, and Uganda Blood Transfusion Services, served over 300 patients. It included 77 hepatitis B screenings, 24 vaccinations, 43 blood donations, and cancer checks for 41 individuals, many of whom had urinary tract infections.
Kiwoko Hospital data for 2025 showed 4,428 hepatitis B tests with 144 positives, 1,442 diabetes patients, 504 on hypertension treatment, and 13,233 new cases. Luweero officials praised the camps for boosting mobilization and treatment access despite 40 local health units.
Source: Daily Monitor