Issued by: WMC Africa
The Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) in Mulago is set to launch a corporate cancer screening programme to cater for individuals who find it difficult to make time for regular health checks due to busy work schedules.
Mulago’s pledge follows Stanbic Bank Uganda’s engagement with the Uganda Cancer Institute during last week’s International Breast Cancer Awareness Day.
“We want to introduce the screening initiative to bring services closer to corporate employees with busy work schedules such as members of parliament, bankers, and others,” said Dr Israel Luutu, who represented the institute’s executive director.
Stanbic Bank donated two beds and pap smear kits, which are used to collect cervical cell samples to aid early detection of cervical cancer.
Speaking at the handover of the equipment, Diana Ondoga, Stanbic Bank Uganda’s corporate social investment manager, said the bank’s modest contribution was to support cancer prevention.
“We are proud of our sustained partnership with the ministry of health to complement government’s efforts in finding solutions to our challenges; the idea of a corporate cancer screening initiative, if implemented, will further facilitate early detection. We are happy to have the opportunity to be part of the solution,” she said.
Sarah Nansikombi Lubega, women banking manager at Stanbic, said: “On this International Breast Cancer Awareness Day, we felt it was worthy to lend a helping hand in light of a recent appeal by the UCI to support its capacity to support the increasing number of patients seeking cancer treatment, 45 per cent of whom, we are informed, are female.”
Ms Lubega stressed the importance of awareness as a vital starting point in the fight against cancer.
“Knowing more about cancer can also help individuals and their loved ones better understand the physical, emotional and psychological impact of a diagnosis,” she said.
As part of its CSI activities, Stanbic Bank is helping to improve healthcare in Uganda. Last week, in partnership with the Parliament of Uganda, the bank donated over 4,000 Mama Kits to the Ministry of Health to be distributed across the country to improve access to maternal health services.
