The government has reaffirmed its plan to establish Regional Cancer Institutes across the country as Uganda continues to grapple with rising cancer cases that are straining the national health system. The announcement was made by the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, during a plenary sitting on 30 October 2025 in response to urgent concerns raised by Bukonjo West County MP Atkins Katushabe.
Katushabe told Parliament that Kasese District is facing what he described as a silent health emergency, with a surge in cancer-related deaths and a troubling pattern of maternal mortality. Over the past six months, he said, the district has recorded unusually high numbers of women dying during childbirth, while newborns are failing to survive delivery. Although he has repeatedly raised the matter before Parliament, he lamented that no minister has visited the district to assess the crisis.
The legislator also referenced his recent visit to the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) in Mulago, where he observed that nearly every floor of the five-storey building had patients from Kasese. He attributed the high cancer burden to environmental contamination from copper deposits left behind by mining activities, citing research by Makerere University’s Prof Hannington Oryem suggesting that copper-rich runoff may be seeping into drinking water sources.
In his response, Minister Baryomunsi acknowledged that cancer remains a major public health challenge in Uganda, as in many developing countries where incidence continues to rise. However, he disputed claims that Kasese is the most affected region, noting that recent Makerere University studies do not place the district among those with the highest prevalence. Instead, the central region and parts of northern Uganda continue to record larger numbers of cases.
The minister admitted that the Uganda Cancer Institute is overwhelmed, with patients from across the country still relying heavily on the national referral facility despite the growing need for more accessible care. He said the government is constructing Regional Cancer Institutes in Gulu, Mbale, Mbarara and Jinja to decentralize services and ease pressure on Mulago. He added that resources have been committed to improving the UCI, including training more oncologists and cancer specialists who will be deployed to regional centres.
Obongi County MP Dr George Bhoka Didi backed the minister’s explanation, pointing to data from the 2017 UCI report and a 2020 study led by Dr Jackson Orem. Those studies found that districts such as Kampala, Kabale, Iganga and Gulu have historically recorded the highest cancer rates. Combined registry data from those years placed the national cancer burden at 25,576 cases, with women accounting for a slightly higher proportion. Cervical and breast cancers were most common among women, while prostate and oesophageal cancers dominated among men.
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa described the matter as urgent and directed Katushabe to submit a detailed petition to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health. He also instructed the Ministry of Health to prepare a comprehensive statement to Parliament addressing the situation in Kasese and outlining progress on the planned regional cancer centres.
Originally from: https://parliamentwatch.ug/news-updates/
