Parliament Urges Urgent Expansion of Regional Cancer Services to Alleviate Patient Hardship

As International Breast Cancer Awareness Month concludes, Uganda’s Parliament has intensified calls for a quicker expansion of regional cancer care facilities. Presiding over a plenary session, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa urged legislators to act as ambassadors for early cancer screening and healthy lifestyle promotion within their communities.

Tayebwa stressed that Uganda records over 30,000 new cancer cases annually, with late detection acting as a major driver of high mortality rates. Cervical and breast cancers continue to affect women the most, while prostate and oesophageal cancers are predominant among men. Lawmakers emphasized that grassroots sensitization and better access to screening are vital to reversing these trends.

During the session, MPs voiced serious concerns over the delayed decentralization of specialized medical services. Bukooli County Central MP Solomon Silwany pointed out that rural Ugandans endure immense suffering and incur heavy transport costs to reach centralized facilities.

Responding to the concerns, Government Chief Whip and former Minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng acknowledged the severe travel constraints and the heavy burden placed on patients. She noted that while permanent infrastructure is underway, the Uganda Cancer Institute currently utilizes community outreach programs to bridge the gap.

Dr. Aceng assured the House that the government remains committed to establishing dedicated cancer units across all 18 sub-regions, pointing to progress in areas such as Acholi, Mbale, Ankole, and West Nile. However, she cautioned that the high costs of specialized facilities require robust financial mobilization from both the Executive and Parliament.

More details on this parliamentary session can be found in the Daily Monitor.