Cabinet Approves Loan for Mbarara Regional Cancer Centre

Cabinet has approved plans to borrow up to €31.98 million, equivalent to about 139 billion Shillings, from the French government to construct and equip a regional oncology centre in Mbarara.

The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting at State House, Entebbe, on Monday, August 24, 2026, alongside a range of measures covering agricultural productivity, care for older persons, professional regulation and Uganda’s international diplomacy.

For years, the Uganda Cancer Institute in Kampala has carried a substantial share of the country’s specialised cancer diagnosis and treatment burden. For patients from western, northern and other distant parts of the country, accessing care can involve repeated long-distance travel, prolonged stays in the capital and high costs for transport, accommodation and treatment.

Some patients have also sought specialised treatment outside Uganda, placing additional financial pressure on families and contributing to the outflow of health expenditure.

According to a Cabinet statement delivered by ICT and National Guidance Minister Justine Kasule Lumumba, the proposed financing will support the Mbarara Regional Oncology Centre, expanding specialised cancer services to western Uganda and reducing the need for costly and repeated journeys to Kampala for treatment.

“Cancer services must be brought closer to the people,” the statement said, citing Uganda Cancer Institute statistics showing that Uganda records about 36,000 new cancer cases annually. However, only 8,764 cases reached the Uganda Cancer Institute at Mulago in 2025, while between 80 and 87 per cent of patients reportedly seek treatment when the disease has already reached an advanced stage.

The proposed Mbarara centre is intended to help address this imbalance by expanding access to cancer diagnosis and treatment while strengthening referral systems, prevention, community outreach and early detection.

The project also fits into Uganda’s broader efforts to strengthen health infrastructure and advance universal health coverage, under which people should be able to access essential health services without being pushed into financial hardship.

However, health experts have repeatedly cautioned that infrastructure alone will not improve cancer outcomes. The success of the Mbarara centre will also depend on sustained investment in trained oncologists, pathologists, nurses and other specialised health workers, as well as radiotherapy services, essential medicines, diagnostic equipment and effective referral systems at lower-level health facilities.