Centenary Bank, Uganda’s largest commercial microfinance bank, together with its subsidiary, Centenary Foundation, have proudly announced their platinum sponsorship and participation in the 2024 edition of the Rotary Cancer Run.

During the official launch of the 13th Rotary Cancer Run, Rtn. Hon. Anita Among, Speaker of Parliament and Chief Guest praised the collaborative efforts of Rotary Uganda and its partners, including Centenary Bank.

“I want to commend Rotary, Centenary Bank, and the other partners for the initiative of the cancer unit, this is going to help the country in complimenting the treatment of cancer and decongesting the other referral hospitals.,” said Hon. Among. She pledged the continuous support of the Parliament of Uganda towards combating cancer and promoting health.

The Managing Director of Centenary Bank, Fabian Kasi, expressed pride in the longstanding partnership with Rotary. “Our collaboration with Rotary on the Cancer Run is one of our key initiatives that has run for 13 years. This underscores our dedication to improving the lives of our community members through impactful health interventions.,” he stated.

Recent statistics from the Uganda Cancer Institute reveal that we lose 6o% of individuals as a result of cancer. Commenting on this, Kasi remarked, “Part of the reason for this high percentage is attributed to limited access to cancer care centers, especially in the remote areas. If we had these treatment centers spread across the country, maybe the story would be different, and the chances of survival would be higher. Nsambya Hospital here is a beacon of hope, more patients are receiving timely and effective cancer treatment, which significantly improves their chances of survival, but I will say, we still need to do more,” he added.

Highlighting the achievements of this partnership, Kasi added, “We are immensely grateful for the over 40,000 U gandans who joined us last year where we managed to raise Ugx.1.1 billion as mentioned by the Program Chair.  I commend each participant, donor, and supporter who contributed to this cause. Your efforts were not in vain, there’s fundamental progress on the construction works for the bunkers.”

For this year’s event, following the theme, Spread Magic in every step Centenary Bank and the Centenary Foundation committed to donating 300 million Ugandan shillings towards cancer care. “This contribution reflects our commitment to not only the fight against cancer but to the welfare of the Ugandan people at large. As we look forward to the Cancer Run scheduled for the 25th of August 2024, I urge everyone here and the broader community to participate even more vigorously,” explained Kasi.

The Chairman of the Cancer Run program, Micheal Nyitegeka, discussed this year’s fundraising goals. “We have registered many great achievements from the run in the past. This year, we have set a target of 4 billion shillings. This funding will contribute towards completing the 2 bunkers that will house the 2 LINAC cancer treatment machines ,” he stated.

Participants in this year’s marathon can purchase their kits using their Cente Visa or Cente Mastercard and collect them from any Centenary Bank branch countrywide.