The government has pledged continued technical and infrastructure support to the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) as the country strengthens its capacity to provide advanced cancer treatment locally.
The Minister of Health, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, made the pledge on September 10, 2026, while officiating at a ceremony to unveil UCI’s rebranded logo and celebrate the successful discharge of its second bone marrow transplant patient at the institute’s headquarters in the Old Mulago Hospital complex.
Baryomunsi congratulated the UCI leadership and medical team for successfully carrying out the second bone marrow transplant, saying the achievement demonstrates Uganda’s growing capacity to provide sophisticated cancer treatment and instils confidence among patients.
He said the government would continue supporting the institute with technical expertise and infrastructure, including facilitating continuous professional development opportunities for medical personnel to sharpen their skills and expand their capacity to handle complex cancer procedures.
The minister also said construction of regional cancer centres of excellence is ongoing at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital in the north, Mbale Regional Referral Hospital in the east, Arua Regional Referral Hospital in West Nile and Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in the west.
He said the centres are intended to strengthen access to quality cancer services and reduce the need for patients to travel long distances to Kampala for specialised treatment.
Baryomunsi further said the proposed 350-bed cancer hospital at the hilltop of Mulago would significantly improve cancer care and management in the country.
He said the government would equip the facility with modern cancer treatment machines and other specialised equipment, while also recruiting additional medical professionals to manage the growing number of patients.
The minister congratulated the institute for successfully discharging David Bongomin, the second patient to undergo a bone marrow transplant at UCI, saying the achievement demonstrates that Uganda has developed the capacity to conduct the sophisticated procedure locally.
The Chairperson of the UCI Board of Directors, Damalie Nakanjako, said it was encouraging that more than 20 percent of the institute’s patients come from outside Uganda.
She said the development was a sign that the country had built significant capacity to provide specialised cancer treatment and was increasingly attracting patients from other countries.
Nakanjako congratulated the medical teams for putting Uganda on the map through their work, saying continued government support would further improve service delivery at the East African cancer centre of excellence.
The UCI Executive Director, Dr Jackson Orem, said the institute was determined to continue strengthening its technical capacity through research and the introduction of more advanced cancer treatment procedures.
Orem thanked President Yoweri Museveni and the government for their continued support, saying it had strengthened the institute’s ability to expand specialised cancer services and build public trust and confidence in locally available treatment.
