The Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) will host over 100 stakeholders from all over Africa and beyond on August 24 and 25th , 2017 at Speke Resort Munyonyo to discuss cancer under the theme: “From Prevention to end of life care”.
Speaking to journalists in Kampala today, Dr. Jackson Orem, the Executive Director Uganda Cancer Institute said the International conference is one of the activities to celebrate the Uganda Cancer Institutes’ 50 years of existence.
“Today 8th August 2017 marks exactly 50 years of Cancer Research, Treatment and Training in Uganda. As we celebrate this anniversary, we have lined up a number of activities to celebrate this journey. Among them a conference. We shall be meeting with people across the world with experience in managing and treating cancer. We are looking back in what we have achieved in the 50 years. We hope to build on those achievements to manage and also treat the disease better. But we shall also look at the areas where we have failed, this will help us to even become better than we have been in the past 50 years,”said Dr. Orem.
The conference is therefore aimed at facilitating the sharing of knowledge and best practice among doctors, donors, goverments among other professionals.
According to Ddungu Henry, the Joint Conference Chair and Consulatant heamatologist at the Institute, the conference shall also provide a forum for the stakeholders to contribute to policy debates and issues leading to better management and treatment of cancer in Uganda and beyond.
“We all know how dangerous cancer is. It is also nolonger news, that the disease is growing very fast in Uganda. On that note, we need to put our heads together and forge away forward. We therefore hope to achieve a lot during this conference,” said Dr Ddungu.
Other activities lined up by the Uganda Cancer Institute to celebrate the 50 years anniversary include a month long cancer awareness and screening public campaign starting on the 15th August 2017. A historical photograph exhibition at Afriart Gallery – Kamwokya from 18-th to 27th August 2017 and a dinner at Speke Resort Munyonyo on 24th August 2017.
Dr. Ddungu also added that a number of dignitaries and institutions from different walks of life have already confirmed gracing the different events.
“We are honored to have dignitaries from the founding organizations of the Uganda Cancer Institute and partners including The USA embassy, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Makerere University, and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center among others who will be gracing these events” Ddungu said.
Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) is an autonomous public, specialized, tertiary care medical facility established by an Act of Parliament. UCI is a cancer treatment, research, and teaching center, affiliated with the Makerere University School of Medicine and with the Mulago Hospital Complex, the teaching hospital for the medical school. UCI maintains an inpatient facility with a capacity of 100 beds. It attends to an average of about 200 patients daily
