Operating locally as Hutchinson Centre Research Institute in Uganda (HCRI-UG), Fred Hutch has been a committed partner to the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) since 2004. Our collaboration with UCI began when Dr. Corey Casper, of Fred Hutch, began working with Ugandan colleagues on research into HIV-associated malignancies.
Our collaboration resulted in a formal partnership known as the UCI/Hutchinson Center Cancer Alliance (UCI/HCCA), which is co-directed by Dr. Jackson Orem, UCI's Director. The partnership has led to the first comprehensive cancer center jointly built by U.S. and African Cancer institutions in the sub-Saharan Africa — UCI-Fred Hutch Cancer Centre opened May 2015. The facility is funded in part by the U.S. Agency for International Development, American Schools and Hospitals Abroad program.
The partnership supports the development of a strong biomedical infrastructure in Uganda to contribute to the prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer and related health concerns. Our strategic investment has helped the UCI grow from a small facility with limited resources to a state-of-the-art regional cancer center capable of training the next generation of oncologists and creating an environment to conduct research that will have impact worldwide.