Africa-Press – Uganda. Uganda has intensified its fight against cervical cancer, with new data showing a sharp increase in screening and early detection efforts led by the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) in partnership with the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH).
Cervical cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Ugandan women.
However, government and partner efforts have begun to show promising results in curbing the disease, particularly in Kampala District, Mbarara District, and Mbarara City.
UCI has spearheaded the expansion of prevention and diagnostic services through nationwide training, provision of screening tools such as Pap smears, HPV DNA testing, and Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA), and coordination with local health facilities.
These interventions aim to boost early detection rates and reduce the number of advanced-stage cervical cancer cases.
In Kampala, screening data from 2024 and early 2025 shows measurable progress.
A total of 8,344 women were screened in 2024, including 3,847 HPV tests and 3,760 VIA exams. Of those tested, 692 tested positive for HPV and 559 were VIA-positive.
The Uganda Cancer Institute also conducted 129 colposcopies and 284 Pap smears, with 24 showing high-grade lesions.
So far in 2025, 4,910 women have been screened in Kampala, with 1,826 HPV tests conducted and 449 positive results.
VIA tests totaled 2,317, with 274 positives. Pap smears and histology exams have continued at a steady pace.
HIV-positive women, who are at higher risk for cervical cancer, made up a significant portion of those screened — 6,377 in 2024 and 3,913 in early 2025.
“These figures show that more women, especially those most at risk, are accessing life-saving screening services,” UCI said in a statement on Friday.
Support from KOFIH has been central to this progress, enabling outreach campaigns, training of health workers, supply of screening equipment, and community mobilisation.
The partnership has also facilitated the program’s expansion into Mbarara, where groundwork is underway to establish screening centers and introduce HPV testing capacity at regional hospitals and lower-level facilities.
The intensified screening drive aligns with the World Health Organisation’s 90-70-90 targets to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health threat. Uganda is working to ensure that 90% of girls are vaccinated against HPV by age 15, 70% of women are screened with high-performance tests by ages 35 and 45, and 90% of those with cervical disease receive appropriate treatment.
“The Government of Uganda is committed to this goal and calls upon communities, stakeholders, and development partners to continue supporting this national priority,” UCI stated.
Cervical cancer is both preventable and treatable if detected early.
Health authorities are urging all eligible women to seek screening services and help reduce the disease burden in the country.
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