Residents advised against using herbal medicine to treat cancer
UNCDA health team from Mubende Hospital testing residents during the campaign at health centre three in Nabingoola. Photo by Joseph Kiggundu
Mubende-
A group of doctors from Uganda Non Communicable Diseases Alliance (UNCDA) led by Dr. William Lumu have urged residents of Mubende to desist from using herbal medicine in treating cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure, among other Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs).
The residents told the group of doctors that they have been relying herbal medicine to treat cancer and blood pressure because there are no drugs in most government health centers in the neighborhood to treat such diseases and in some health centers, the drugs are too expensive for them.
“Doctors have told us to stop taking herbal medicine but we don’t have the money and even there are no Cancer drugs in the nearby government health centers,” said a one Noah Lubega a Blood pressure patient from Kiganda Sub County.
This was during a one-day campaign to sensitize the residents on how to treat and prevent NCDs.
In his statement, Dr. Lumu urged residents to always go for NCDs screening, at least twice a year to help them know their status and start treatment inn time.
“Cancer, heart diseases and blood pressure can be easily treated if we discover them in their earliest stage but if discovered at a late stage, it can hardly be treated and most of the time our patients die quickly if we discover that the cancers are in their late stages and that’s. I therefore, urge my brothers and sisters to always screen themselves at least twice a year to avoid risking their lives” said Dr. Lumu
On the other hand he called upon religious leaders and politicians to join the UNCDA C3 campaign and engage people in different ways to save their lives.
“I am calling upon religious leaders to join this campaign given the fact that they meet so many people in their respective churches because NCDs are more serious than Aids and Malaria” he added.
UNCDA CEO Grace Amongi said they have also trained some volunteers in the district to work with the district health teams to help advise people on how they should prevent and treat NCDs.
“Our volunteers will work closely with the district health teams and will keep on sensitizing Mubende residents on how to keep their bodies protected from such dieses,” said Ms Amongi, urging government for more support.
Kiganda Sub county LC3 Chairman, Mr David Kigangali also asked government to give them more support in terms of medicine and medical equipment to help people tested.
“I am politician but its true there are no drugs for cancers and blood pressure in Government health centres around here,” he said.
