Though the mandate of cancer prevention and control in Uganda was given to UCI including patient care, research, treatment and training, the Institute has had limited action in the areas of community cancer awareness and screening since its inception in 1967, and in the year 2009, the Government of Uganda having granted the Institute an autonomy status from the parent Mulago National Referral Hospital, UCI started this Comprehensive Community Cancer Program. In January, 2017 UCI became fully autonomous with an Act of Parliament of 2016, this has increased the strategic scope of community cancer programme.

This program strives to facilitate communities at regional level with knowledge in cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment so that they can be able to do first hand intervention in cancer control and prevention. In addition to continued effort on cancer control and prevention the Institute conducts daily cancer education and screening clinics from Monday to Friday for all cancers and all people (women, men and children of all ages) at the Uganda Cancer Institute in the out-patient premises starting at 900am.

We work with a multi-disciplinary team with sound background in Public health, Health promotion and education, Behavioral health science, Family medicine, Nursing(Midwifery), Gynecology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Social work. Both at UCI cancer education and screening clinic and outreaches we work with Cancer survivors to provide evidence and hope for cancer cure, supporting adherence to treatment and quality of life after cancer treatment. This dedicated team is headed by Dr Mugisha Noleb (MBChB, MMed, (Family Medicine), MPH, PhD fellow, PI & Co-Investigator)

What we do
Our objectives include:

• To raise awareness on cancer risk factors

• To improve cancer prevention

• To increase early diagnosis of cancer

• To improve adherence to cancer treatment

• To provide evidence based and practice based health promotion interventions

• Community cancer outreaches in lower level health centres, places of worship (churches and mosques), work places, training institutions (Universities, Other tertiary institutions/ colleges, Secondary and primary schools,), markets and other community centres. During these outreaches community cancer education, information, cancer survivorship testimony, counseling and screening are conducted.

• Daily cancer education, information and screening conducted at the Institute in the Out Patients' Department (OPD).

• Development and distribution of Cancer education and information (IEC) materials - We develop cancer brochures, fliers, magazines, booklets and newspaper articles to improve cancer literacy

• Radio and television talk on different aspects of community cancer awareness.

• Students' cancer clubs- CCCP in partnership with Uganda Child Cancer Foundation (UCCF) assists students start cancer clubs in their schools. This club is Children Caring about Cancer (3Cs club).

• Training and mentorship- Wherever CCCP carries out outreaches, the team works with health care providers in the area, training them to continue doing cancer education and screening.

• We conduct operational research to guide our interventions.

Our Strategic Objective is to reduce cancer risk by increasing access and utilization of cancer prevention services. We work towards attainment of this objective through the following strategic actions.

Strategic Interventions/Actions are:

• Design and implement a National health promotion program for prevention of cancer

• Design and implement Community and institutional outreach programs, including cancer screening

• Integrate cancer care and control in the essential healthcare package

• Support community structures for improved cancer education, prevention and care

• Develop a road map for cancer prevention and control in the context of broader multi-sectoral strategies.

• Organize cancer prevention programs so as to strengthen leadership, governance, management, and accountability in all cancer groups and at all levels of the health sector

• Undertake National cancer risk assessments and management programs across all ages, gender and geographical locations.

In an effort to extend cancer prevention and care services to the communities, UCI has constructed the first rural cancer clinic in in Mayuge District.
The New Rural Cancer Center has been created as way to help create awareness and examine the influence of health services within the region on rural health delivery, with determination of more research, consider specific improvements that could be made to the system to better meet the needs of rural consumers and providers.

There are unique challenges to delivering health care in rural areas, and they include provider shortages, isolation, long travel distances, scarcity of specialty care, under resourced infrastructure, and a predominately older population with multiple chronic conditions.
However, out of necessity, rural areas also make it possible for smaller Cancer hospitals and clinics to be more innovative in overcoming the challenges of providing comprehensive and coordinated health care to residents. The absence of large, complex health care organizations fosters a prime environment for such extreme structure.