Childhood cancer is a significant public health concern in Uganda. However, the exact prevalence is difficult to measure due to several factors, including a lack of comprehensive data and the underreporting of cases, particularly from rural areas.
Studies suggest that approximately 1,500 to 2,000 new cases of childhood cancer are diagnosed annually in Uganda. The numbers, though significant, do not fully reflect the actual scope of the issue, as many cases go unreported due to several reasons, including under diagnosis, misdiagnosis, and access to healthcare limitations. In Uganda, a substantial number of children live in rural areas where healthcare services are either unavailable or insufficiently equipped to handle childhood cancer diagnoses.
Families in these areas may not seek medical care until the symptoms of cancer are advanced, resulting in a lower survival rate. The prevalence of childhood cancer in Uganda has risen in recent years, partly due to increased awareness, but a lack of reliable, national-level cancer registries hinders accurate reporting. Although there has been an improvement in reporting in urban centres such as Kampala, rural areas still face enormous barriers. Diagnostic services such as MRI scans or chemotherapy drugs are largely unavailable outside of large cities. This has resulted in a vast healthcare disparity, with children in rural Uganda less likely to receive the treatment they need in time.
Common types
While the diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancers are similar worldwide, Uganda faces challenges related to the types of cancers most commonly seen and how they are managed.
Below are the most commonly diagnosed childhood cancers in Uganda: Leukaemia: Leukaemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow, is the most common childhood cancer in Uganda. Among children, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is the predominant type. Leukaemia is often diagnosed in children aged three to seven years, with common symptoms including fatigue, fever, bone pain and easy bruising. Early diagnosis and treatment can lead to remission in many cases, but the lack of timely treatment options often leads to late-stage diagnoses.
Lymphoma: Lymphomas, including Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, are common cancers affecting the lymphatic system in children. Symptoms of lymphoma include swelling in the lymph nodes, weight loss, fever and night sweats. Lymphomas are treatable with chemotherapy, but early detection remains a major challenge, particularly in rural communities.
Retinoblastoma: Retinoblastoma is a rare but dangerous cancer that primarily affects the retina of the eye. Children under the age of five are most at risk. The condition often presents as a white or greyish reflection in the pupil, known as “cat’s eye.” If diagnosed early, retinoblastoma can be treated with surgery or chemotherapy, but many children in Uganda only receive treatment when the disease has advanced, reducing their chances of survival.
Brain and spinal cord tumors: These tumours can occur in different parts of the brain and spine, often resulting in symptoms such as headaches, vomiting, seizures, and developmental delays. Timely diagnosis is difficult due to the limited availability of diagnostic tools such as CT scans and MRIs.
Wilms Tumour: Wilms tumour, a cancer of the kidney, is common among children under the age of five. The disease is treatable with surgery and chemotherapy if caught early, but many children in Uganda are diagnosed late due to a lack of early screening and the expense of medical treatment.
