ONCOLOGY FOR AFRICA

Destination Jungle supports Oncology for Africa Onlus, an Italian Non Profit Association founded in May 2010 to improve cancer care in Uganda.

This collaboration started when we met Mrs. Tiziana Andriani, President of Oncology for Africa, and her family, while traveling in Uganda in August 2010.

We shared the same aim to bring positive changes to people in the country, especially towards women and children.

In July 2009, Mrs. Andriani presented a scientific research on “Cancer: a new threat for Africa”. The results of this research were very alarming: according to the World Health Organization, by 2020 there are expected to be 13 million new cases of cancer in Africa and 1 million new deaths every year.

Also the mortality rate, comparing to the incidence, is very high: this is due to many reasons, like the generally poor health infrastructures, many risk factors (HIV, HPV, alcohol, smoke, diet), and the lack of access to cancer screening, early diagnosis, treatment or palliative care. Consequently a late diagnosis of cancer leads, in most cases, to a painful and distressing death.

With this concern, a group of medical doctors from the National Cancer Institute “Regina Elena” in Rome, founded Oncology for Africa and decided to first intervene in Uganda, where the situation is very critical.

In the whole country there is only one radioactive cobalt machine for cancer treatment and the National Health System does not subsidize chemotherapy drugs.

Cervical cancer is the most common tumour in Ugandan women, but at the moment only one woman out of ten can survive to this disease.

Also breast cancer is increasing and the mortality rate is becoming higher.

In January 2011, Oncology for Africa promoted and sponsored the first “Cervical & Breast Screening Campaign”, in cooperation with AISPO (Italian Association for People Solidarity) and the St. Raphael of St. Francis Hospital Nsambya, creating awareness about cancer and offering free gynaecological and breast screening to 1.000 Ugandan women from Kampala and surroundings.

Oncology for Africa in Uganda is partnering with AISPO, St. Raphael of St. Francis Hospital Nsambya, Uganda Cancer Institute and Uganda Child Cancer Foundation.

Destination Jungle will support Oncology for Africa by informing our public and clients about their projects, by giving possible logistic support in Uganda and by including volunteering for Oncology for Africa within the Jungle volunteering project of the company.

Destination Jungle and Oncology for Africa share the same love for Africa, the strong value of solidarity and the belief that health care is a universal human right, which must be also guaranteed to African people.

To find out more about Oncology for Africa, you can log on their website www.afron.org OR contact the Director of Destination Jungle