By Aggrey Twesigye
Health experts are urging women aged 13 to 45 to get vaccinated against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract, as cases of cervical cancer continue to rise among younger women.
According to the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI), an increasing number of women under the age of 45 are presenting with advanced cervical cancer despite heightened public awareness and the availability of three approved vaccines that can prevent infection.
Dr. Gerald Mutungi, the Assistant Commissioner in charge of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) at the Ministry of Health, revealed that about 23 out of every 100 women who go for cancer screening show signs of cervical cancer.
He noted that the government, through the UCI, is setting up a regional cancer treatment center in Mbarara City to decentralize cancer care services and bring them closer to communities in western Uganda.
Dr. Mutungi made the remarks on Thursday during the handover of cervical cancer screening equipment to Mbarara City and Mbarara District. The event was organized by the Ministry of Health, the Uganda Cancer Institute, and the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare under the National Cancer Management Project.
The donated items included thermal coagulators, examination lamps, gynecological examination beds, distilled water, GeneXpert machines, and heavy-duty ultrasound machines, among others.
Dr. Nickson Niyonzima, the Head of Research and Training at the Uganda Cancer Institute, said the institute is expanding cervical cancer screening services across the country. He noted that cervical cancer remains the most common cancer among women in Uganda, with approximately 7,000 new cases recorded annually.
Dr. Niyonzima further expressed concern that about 80 percent of women are diagnosed at advanced stages (stage three or four) when treatment is less effective. However, he said the newly donated equipment will strengthen early detection efforts by identifying women with pre-cancerous lesions before the disease progresses.
