The Deputy Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah, has called on Ugandans to participate in the fight against cancer so as to create awareness but also give hope to those suffering from it.
Oulanyah said that the dream to rid cancer out of humanity
depends on concerted efforts by the public.
“We have a bad situation amongst us; a monster killing people
and making families suffer. By coming together, we demonstrate that we can use
our power to fight this burden,” Oulanyah said.
The Deputy Speaker made the remarks at the start of a cancer
awareness walk around Kampala on Saturday, 13 July 2019. The walk was organised
by the Nkesiga Cancer Foundation headed by Rev. Diana Mirembe Nkesiga, the
Vicar All Saints Cathedral Kampala.
Oulanyah noted that Government had worked hard to push
forward the fight against cancer through efforts to regionalise the Uganda
Cancer Institute to make access to treatment easy.
“These things have come to Parliament and we have discussed
them. We are trying to find how best we can deal with them. But the reason we
are here is to help those who cannot help themselves,” Oulanyah added.
The Deputy Speaker contributed shs10 million to the Nkesiga
Cancer Foundation to support its work in treating cancer patients around the
country.
Rev. Nkesiga commended the work done by the Deputy Speaker in
advocating for healthy living of Ugandans and in supporting children under
Eseza Foundation who are suffering from cancer.
“We pray that as we support an 11 year old boy from Eseza
Foundation; he will get the opportunity to become a healthy contributing
citizen to this country,” Rev. Nkesiga said.
Rev. Nkesiga started the Nkesiga Cancer Foundation in
partnership with AAR Insurance in memory of her late husband, Rev. Solomon J.B.
Nkesiga who suffered from cancer of the gall bladder and died in 2015.
The cancer awareness walk covered two separate distances of
5km and 10km around Kampala city.
