By Ronald Ssenvuma
Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng has encouraged Ugandans to prioritize preventative measures over cure. She made the remarks on Thursday at the second Africa Test and Treat Initiative against Cancer and other Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) conference in Kampala.
She emphasized the importance of regular check-ups at hospitals to identify and address both NCDs and other diseases early on.
“Uganda has minimal funding for cancer. We allocate barely enough money, about 52 billion,” Aceng said before urging Ugandans to avoid becoming cancer victims.
A recent report paints a concerning picture of cancer’s growing burden in Africa, estimating approximately 1.1 million new cases and 711,429 deaths in 2020 alone. Examining 34 different cancer groups across 54 African countries, the report reveals a stark increase from 2008/9: new cases jumped from 715,000 to 1.1 million, while fatalities rose from 542,000 to 711,000.
Globally, NCDs account for a staggering 41 million deaths annually, representing 74% of all global deaths. In low- and middle-income countries, this figure climbs to 86% of premature deaths. Among various NCDs, cardiovascular diseases claim the most lives (17.9 million), followed by cancers (9.3 million), chronic respiratory diseases (4.1 million), and diabetes (2.0 million), with kidney diseases included in the latter figure.
