Business & Management

Cancer Patients Spend an Average of Shs 300,000 on a Single Visit at UCI

Published

3 years ago

February 28, 2023

Mak Editor

Dr. Allen Kabagenyi, the Principal Investigator from the School of Statistics and Planning, CoBAMS, Makerere University.

To access treatment and care services at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI), patients spend on average 300,000 Uganda shillings on a single visit although some spend to as high as 800,000 (Figure 1). This was revealed by a study done by Makerere University in collaboration with the Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Research Administration (SICRA) and Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) with funding from the Government of the Republic of Uganda through Makerere University Research and Innovation fund (Mak-RiF).

Figure1; Out of pocket expenditure by Cancer stage.

Conducted in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, this study titled “Impoverishing and Catastrophic Health Expenditure on Cancer Care among Persons affected by Cancer in Uganda” is among the first few in the country to estimate the catastrophic health expenditure among cancer patients receiving care in Uganda.

The study revealed that patients suffering from Prostate and Colorectal Cancers were the most affected, with their out-of-pocket expenditure greater than 600,000 per visit. Out of pocket expenditure refers to all direct payments for healthcare or services from household income or savings that patients incur at the point they receive health services.

The study also highlighted that a considerable proportion of cancer patients experience catastrophic health expenditure. “Overall, at least half of all cancer patients experienced catastrophic health expenditure on Cancer Care and treatment. 5 out of 10 patients spent at least 40% of their household income on Cancer health care,” the study findings reveal in part. Further, “Cancer patients or households with patients are unable to solely meet costs associated with cancer care. Often they depend on family, relatives, and friends’ support. However, the continuity of support coming through is not guaranteed throughout the patient’s time of sickness.” Speaking during the Dissemination and Stakeholders Engagement at UCI, Dr. Allen Kabagenyi, the Principal Investigator, noted that unemployed patients, who constituted 86% in the study, were among those who spend at least 300,000 Uganda shillings whenever they visit UCI. “This money is spent on buying missing drugs, imaging services, and tests among others,” she added.

Besides digging deep into their pockets to meet the cancer treatment costs, the findings reveal that families often sell their household property like land, animals, homes among others, in order to raise money for treatment and any related care. “The Shs300,000 is for only one visit but remember a cancer patient who is on stage one and two has to visit regularly, translating to almost Shs. 3.6 million in a year,” Dr. Francis Kiweewa, the Director Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Research Administration (SICRA) said.

Participants attending the Blended presentation at Uganda Cancer Institute, Mulago.

The Assistant Commissioner – Non communicable diseases (NCDs) prevention and control Department at Ministry of Health, Uganda, Dr. Gerald Mutungi said; “At the ministry, we have adopted the approach of evidence-based policy decision making. Therefore, the policy recommendations of this study are well received.” He further said that as the Ministry waits for the passing and implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme, researchers need to investigate and come up with measures aimed at cancer prevention and control.”

Dr. Gerald Mutungi, Assistant Commissioner for Health Services – NCDs prevention and Control Department at Ministry of Health, Uganda.

Dr. Jackson Orem, the Executive Director of Uganda Cancer Institute, while responding to the study findings admitted to the growing cancer burden, which he said could only be managed through establishing regional Cancer management centers. He said “currently when you look at the statistics of the number of cancer patients we receive at UCI, 15% are from central region while 85% come from up country. What I can say is that we need to decentralize our services so that these people are able to access them with ease in their respective areas.”

Dr. Jackson Orem, Executive Director, Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI).

Dr. Nixon Niyonzima, the Head of Research at UCI, said government should have focused interventions of increasing household income so that the patients are able meet the cancer care and treatment related expenses.

Speaking to journalists, Prof. Bruno Yawe, the Ag. Principal College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) noted that the study speaks to the objectives of Makerere University’s strategic planning framework for the 2020–2030 period, which seeks to enhance a research-led university. He commended the multidisciplinary study team led by Dr. Allen Kabagenyi, saying that the findings were timely especially when Uganda is registering rising cancer related morbidity and mortality. He thanked the Mak-RIF Grants Management Committee representative Dr. Mercy Amiyo, for insights and continued support to researchers at Makerere University.

In Uganda, over 56,238 are living with cancer and more than 21,000 deaths were registered in 2020, according to the Globocan Cancer Statistics report. Further the report shows the top seven cancers in Uganda including; cervical cancer, Kaposis Sarcoma, breast, prostate, Non-Hodgikin Lymphoma, cancer of the liver and esophageal – account for 70% of new cancer cases. Knowing the catastrophic health expenditure on cancer care is crucially important to design strategies of providing financial protection against the rising medical expenditure by households with cancer patients.

Meet the study team

Left to Right: Dr. Allen Kabagenyi (MAK, SSP); Dr. Francis Kiweewa (SICRA); Dr. Nixon Niyonzima (UCI).

Left to Right: Dr. Lydia Nakiyingi (MAK, CHS); Prof. Elizeus Rutebemberwa (MAK, SPH); Dr. Roy Mubuuke (MAK, CHS); Prof. Fred Matovu (MAK, CoBAMS).

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Government of the Republic of Uganda through Makerere University Research and Innovation Fund (MAK-RiF). Special thanks to all the patients, Care Givers and Key informants who participated in this study. Graduate Assistants Mr. Ronald Wasswa and Mr. Kayemba, Makerere University.

Related Topics:cancer CoBAMS cost COVID-19 featured Mak-RIF MoH Research SICRA SSP treatment Uganda

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Business & Management

Cementing the Mak-UNISA partnership: Prof. Sarah Ssali meets Dr. Sizile Makola

Published

1 day ago

April 15, 2026

Ritah Namisango

L-R: Associate Prof. Godfrey Akileng, Dean,School of Business, Visiting Scholar-Dr. Sizile Makola, DVCAA-Prof. Sarah Ssali, Ms. Agnes Sansa-PhD Student during the meeting on 13th April 2026.

On 13^th April 2026, Prof. Sarah Ssali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) of Makerere University, hosted Dr. Sizile Makola, a Visiting Scholar and Senior Lecturer from the University of South Africa (UNISA).

Makerere University and the University of South Africa committed to partnership and collaboration through a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Consequently, Dr. Makola, a researcher and an expert in human resource and business management is scheduled to spend two weeks at Makerere University, interacting with the leadership at different levels, researchers, students, as well as staff in the Department of Marketing and Management, School of Business under the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS).

Additionally, the visit accords Dr. Makola the golden opportunity to finalise her comparative studies with members of staff from the Department of Marketing and Management on behalf of Makerere University for the Ugandan context.

The meeting between the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) and Dr. Sizile Makola was attended by Associate Professor Godfrey Akileng-the Dean, School of Business, and Ms. Agnes Sansa from the Department of Marketing and Management.

Welcoming the Visiting Scholar, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) urged Dr. Makola to solidify the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between both universities through academic exchanges and deepening scholarship on African-centred leadership.

Prof. Ssali shared a brief trajectory that has shaped Uganda’s workspace. She mentioned the critical role of three pillars that have fundamentally influenced the human resource development landscape in Uganda namely: Cultural practices, Structural Adjustment Programs (SAP), and Spirituality/Religion. She also acknowledged the distinct historical differences between Uganda and South Africa.

Dr. Makola’s discussion with the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) also featured the ongoing comparative study that Dr. Sizile Makola and Ms. Agnes Sansa are conducting in relation to how organizational and human resource management conditions shape the recognition and conversion of women leadership resilience in Uganda and South Africa.

The study is titled: Ubuntu/Obuntu Bulamu, Emotional Capital and Women’s Leadership Resilience: A Comparative Study Across Public and Private Sectors in South Africa and Uganda.

Impressed by the ongoing study, Prof. Ssali implored the visiting faculty-Dr. Sizile Makola to share with her the findings in due course.

Prof. Ssali expressed the readiness of the Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) to work with the different units within Makerere University, and the University of South Africa, to support programmes aimed at strengthening collaboration, partnership, research, and internationalization.

On 10^th April 2026, Dr. Makola delivered a captivating guest lecture titled,Re-Imagining Human Resource Management in Africa, targeting undergraduate and postgraduate students pursuing human resource management courses at Makerere University.

Emphasizing the need to integrate indigenous knowledge and organizational practice, Dr. Makola argued that researchers should theorize from African contexts, treat indigenous knowledge as a source of theory, use methodologies capturing moral, communal, and context-bound dimensions of work, and build concepts from African languages, values, and institutional histories.

She stressed the need for African-centered human resource management thinking, rather than just adding local case studies to Western frameworks. Dr. Makola’s argument was informed by limitations of Western human resource management frameworks, which assume autonomous individuals, formal institutions, and technical organizations, which are separate from family and community.

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Business & Management

Call For Applications: Student Mobility – University of Padova, Italy (Oct 2026-Jan 2027)

Published

3 days ago

April 14, 2026

Mak Editor

Group Photo of the trainers and trainees that took part in the workshop on multivariate statistics and time series analysis, held 11th-20th June 2024 between the School of Statistics and Planning, CoBAMS and University of Padova, Italy. Makerere University School of Statistics and Planning-University of Padova, Italy dynamic workshop on multivariate statistics and time series analysis, 11th to 20th June 2024, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Arising from an existing Memorandum of Understanding (until September 2028) between University of Padova, Italy (UniPd) and Makerere University (Mak), the two institutions partnered and will jointly implement the Bilateral Agreement for the mobility for students between 2026 and 2027. At Mak, the Departmental Flow Coordinator is Symon Peter Wandiembe (PhD) and the project Principal Investigator and Contact Person is Saint Kizito Omala (PhD), both of Department of Statistical Methods and Actuarial Science (DSMAS).

In this regard, the Department of Statistical Methods and Actuarial Science wishes to announce opportunities for student mobility to the Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy for the Winter Semester, October 2026 – January 2027.

The selection process shall entail five-steps:

Step 1: Submission of documents by candidates for nomination, with an internal deadline of April 20^th, 2026, 05.00 p.m. (EAT) to allow for time to process nomination applications;
Step 2: Meeting of the Nomination Committee to review documents received from applicants;
Step 3: Submitting the list of nominated candidates, by April 30^th, 2026, to the International Projects and Mobility Office of the University of Padua, Italy;
Step 4: Eligibility check and communication to successful candidates by the International Projects and Mobility Office of the University of Padua, Italy; and
Step 5: Application for the Mobility opportunity by successful candidates.

Please see download for detailed call.

Inquiry

S.K. Omala via +256 772 491545 before April 20^th, 2026.

Advert Bilateral UniPd_Mak_Agreement_for Student Mobility Download

Business & Management

Mak CoBAMS Hosts UNISA’s Dr. Sizile Makola

Published

1 week ago

April 8, 2026

Ritah Namisango

L-R: Dr. Zaina Nakabuye, Dr. Jude Mugarura, Dr. Agnes Sansa, Dr. Sizile Makola, Prof Edward Bbaale and Dr. Anthony Tibaingana at the 8th April 2026 meeting in the Office of the Principal. Principal of the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Prof. Edward Bbaale welcomes Dr. Sizile Makola, a Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management from the University of South Africa (UNISA), to the College and Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa, 8th April 2026.

On Wednesday 8^th April 2026 the Principal of the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Prof. Edward Bbaale received and welcomed, Dr. Sizile Makola, a Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management from the University of South Africa (UNISA), to the College and Makerere University.

The interaction meeting held in the Office of the Principal brought onboard the following members of staff from the Department of Marketing and Management, School of Business: Dr. Jude Mugarura, Dr. Zaina Nakabuye, Dr. Agnes Sansa, and Dr. Anthony Tibaingana.

Dr.Sizile Makola is visiting Makerere University for two (2) weeks to cement the MoU between Makerere University and UNISA and to finalise her comparative studies with staff from the department of marketing and management on behalf of Makerere University for the Ugandan context.

Dr. Makola is scheduled to deliver an interactive guest lecture to undergraduate and postgraduate human resource management students on Friday 10^th April 2026 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm in the School of Business, Conference Hall.