Uganda must build a cancer system its citizens can trust

What the report says

The Observer argues that Uganda’s push to expand advanced cancer care will only succeed if the health system can be trusted by ordinary patients, not just if it acquires new technology. The commentary focuses on the Uganda Cancer Institute in Kampala, where demand is rising sharply and officials are planning further upgrades, including a PET scanner and longer-term ambitions such as a cyclotron and proton therapy.

According to the article, the institute treated thousands of new cancer patients over the past year and sees hundreds of people a day, but it still faced shortages in essential supplies, including blood products. The piece says this gap highlights a broader problem: major equipment and buildings matter less if staffing, medicines, maintenance, diagnostics and operating funds are not in place. It also quotes Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Diana Atwine saying new infrastructure must be matched with human resources.

The Observer says Uganda should build a cancer-care system around the full patient journey, from early diagnosis and referral to treatment and follow-up. It also warns that cancer services remain too concentrated in Kampala, leaving patients from distant districts with extra travel costs and delays. While welcoming the goal of reducing foreign referrals, the article says the real measure of success will be when Ugandans can receive reliable care at home without feeling compelled to seek treatment abroad.