Rwanda has launched a new high-tech cancer treatment centre at the Military Hospital located in Kanombe. The Rwandan president, Paul Kagame inaugurated the centre. It will help to combat the rate of cancer disease in the country.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, with about 70% of cancer-related death occurring in low- and middle-income countries.
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As of 2015, over 8.8 million people died from cancer in Africa. This figure is expected to increase to about 15 million in 2020. The government of Rwanda launched the cancer centre to curb cancer prevalence in the country.
The newly inaugurated cancer treatment centre offers treatment via high-technology linear accelerators equipment dubbed Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT). This technology accurately administers radiation to tumours and minimizes the dose to the organs surrounding; this reduces the impact of radiation touching the healthy parts of the patient’s body. It also reduces the rate of complications in cancer carriers.
The Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, has lauded the impact of the facility. He noted that the centre would help save the country from spending large sums of money spent abroad on treatment. It will also help to reduce the prevalence of cancer disease (especially cervical cancer) in Africa.
The high-tech cancer centre has treated 317 patients so far. The facility can also cater for about 150 to 200 patients daily.
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