Cancer of the cervix has been identified as one of the major causes of death among women in Kasese district, western Uganda.
Kasese District Health Officer, Dr. Yusuf Baseka, said 28% of the women who attend palliative clinics at various health units in the district have cervical cancer.
“The problem of cervical cancer is big in the district [Kasese]. It could be due to the rampant marriages among adolescent girls, unsafe abortions and engagement in too much sex activities among the young girls”, Dr. Baseka told The New Vision last week (21 November 2011).
He said many women in Kasese were dying from what is locally called enyinenda not knowing they have cervical cancer, which could treated if reported early enough.
Dr. Jackson Kapuru, the Medical Superintendent at Kagando Referral Hospital, said at least five women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every month.
Dr. Kapuru, who was recently the Medical Superintendent at Bwera Government Hospital in Mpondwe/Lhubiriha town, said he had been diagnosing a similar number of women at that health unit.
Dr. Kapuru, the only qualified gynaecologist in Kasese and one of the only 100 gynaecologists in the country, said previously most of the cervical cancer cases he had diagnosed were in women aged above 50 but now many young women in the district aged between 30 and 35 are also being diagnosed with cervical cancer.
In response to the situation, the Isis-Women’s International Cross Cultural Exchange [Isis-WICCE], in collaboration with district local government, has launched a four-day mass cervical cancer screening. The exercise has been scheduled to take place during the four-day Isis-WICCE National Peace Exposition, which is due to take place in Kasese district between November 27 and December 2 (2011).
Ruth Ojambo Ochieng, Isis-WICCE Executive Director, confirmed that a team of International and national gynaecologists will conduct the screening.
She added that the Speaker of Parliament Hon. Kadaga was expected to officiate over the climax of the Peace Exposition.
