Mr. Isanga Anthony, UCRF Luweero Program area manager, gave a paper on Group formation to the participants of a 2 day training workshop for Radio Sapientia Fans Club members on Group & SACCO Formation at Kalule town, Luweero district on September 2012.
The highlights of his talk included: defining what cancer is? He emphasized that cancer is many diseases that result from uncontrolled growth of body cells. Cancer develops hen previously normal body cells fail to mature and perform their normal function in the body. The abnormal cells instead grow and cause swellings (tumor in medical terminology) which press on nearby body parts and may disrupt function, such as failure to swallow. The cancer cells also invade the surrounding body parts or they spread to parts of the body that are far away causing those organs to stop functioning normally. Therefore, cancer can be named after the body part in which it arises, e.g., cancer of the mouth or the cervix. Some cancers are more common while other cancers are rare.
Mr. Isanga also discussed the causes of cancer. These are the reasons why one individual but not another develops cancer. The things that increase the risk for cancer (usually certain experiences, like smoking, are called risk factors). These experiences actually affect how body cells to grow. Oter experiences decrease the risk of cancer, these are called protective factors.
Mr. Isanga discussed some of the common risk factor as follows:
- Tobacco: Smoking cigarettes or tobacco regularly increases the risk for many cancers, including lung, mouth, throat, head and neck, kidney, bladder, and many other cancers. The risk is also increased even if you breath smoke being blown by a person smoking near you.
- Infections. These include one of the most serious like Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which increases the risk for cancer caused by other infections, like Kaposi sarcoma and lymphoma, and infections by bacteria of the stomach (Helicobacter pylori),
- Chemical substances: Some chemical substances or dusts such as asbestos or those used in some industries may increase cancer risk. Here emphasis went to those working in factories to please ask their doctors about risks for cancer that may arise from their occupation.
- Alcohol consumption: Drinking alcohol regularly increases the risk for many cancers, including liver, mouth, throat, and breast cancer. The risk of cancer will be higher in people who drink alcohol and also smoke. Members were therefore encouraged to reduce alcohol consumption. This can be done by reducing the amount drank at any one sitting, the number of times one drinks in a week and, if one drinks spirits, to change to beer or other less potent alcohol.
Mr. Isanga noted that Infections are responsible for about 1 in 3 cancers in African countries, including Uganda. This means that these cancers can be prevented by stopping the spread of infection through vaccination, behavior change, improving hygiene and sanitation, and treating infection, or finding the cancer caused by the infection very early when cure of the cancer is possible. He encouraged them to visit the UCRF website (http://ucrfcares.org/) to learn more about cancer, and to get involved.
Radio Sapientia Fans club members who attended the workshop. In the picture, the chairperson of the club standing up to ask a question
Mr. Isanga Anthony talking to the participants
In the picture is Mr. Isanga Anthony prayer for the members that God may keep them safe from Cancer soon after training them on Group formation and incidence of cancer
Group photo soon after the training.
The workshop was concluded with a group lunch.
While concluding the workshop, members expressed a profound interest to and encouraged us to visit them again when time allows. The workshop was attended by 35 Radio Sapientia fans club members.
