The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has contributed Shs10 million towards this year's Rotary Cancer Run, scheduled for Sunday.
The development was announced by the ministry's Chief of Protocol, Ambassador Charles Ssentongo who represented the Permanent Secretary during a meeting with officials from the Rotary Cancer Run.
Ambassador Ssentongo said the ministry has supported the Rotary Cancer Run for many years as part of efforts to raise awareness about cancer and mobilise resources to fight the disease.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
"This partnership reflects our broader commitment to being part of advancing various social causes, notably health causes, which are aimed at raising awareness and funding for the various health challenges our country faces," Ambassador Ssentongo said.
He said that, in addition to the Shs10 million contribution, the ministry is mobilising Uganda's diplomatic missions to participate in the forthcoming Rotary Cancer Run from their respective duty stations.
He said missions in cities including Nairobi, Kuala Lumpur, New York, Guangzhou, Beijing, Paris, Tehran and Cairo have so far confirmed their participation.
According to Ambassador Ssentongo, staff at the different diplomatic missions will participate in the run from their respective duty stations while using the event to raise awareness about cancer.
"We hope to build on this awareness for next year's Cancer Run, so that it even becomes better," he said.
The Rotary Cancer Run Chairman, Meddie Lutaaya, applauded the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its continued support towards the fight against cancer.
Lutaaya, however, emphasised the importance of early cancer screening, saying early detection increases the chances of timely treatment.
He said Uganda records about 36,000 new cancer cases annually, with many patients seeking treatment when the disease is already at an advanced stage.
"On average, annually in Uganda, we receive 36,000 cases of new diagnosis. This means 36,000 Ugandans are diagnosed with cancer every year. And the very unfortunate bit is that 80 per cent of the 36,000 lose the battle within the first year of diagnosis," Lutaaya said.
He attributed the high number of cancer-related deaths to late diagnosis.
"What that means is that, in essence, the cancer diagnosis is close to a death sentence. And the reason is because of late diagnosis," he said.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Lutaaya urged Ugandans to embrace regular cancer screening and seek medical attention early, adding that this year's Cancer Run is targeting a net collection of Shs5 billion.
