By Costantine Muganyizi
Kairuki Hospital is strengthening Tanzania’s capacity to diagnose and treat prostate cancer through investment in advanced medical technology, as former President Jakaya Kikwete urged men to make cancer screening a routine part of their healthcare.
Mr. Kikwete, who disclosed that he is a prostate cancer survivor, made the call recently in Dar es Salaam while serving as guest of honour at events at Kairuki Hospital to mark Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
His message was grounded in personal experience. Mr. Kikwete said his prostate cancer was detected at an early stage in 2014 before further examinations in the United States confirmed the diagnosis. He subsequently underwent surgery and said he has remained in good health since then.
He urged men not to fear screening, stressing the importance of detecting prostate cancer early when treatment options can be more effective.
Mr Kikwete also pointed to advances in medical technology that have made prostate-health assessment more accessible, noting that screening can include a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test alongside other clinical assessments.
His intervention comes as prostate cancer remains a major health challenge among Tanzanian men and as private healthcare providers invest in specialist technologies that could expand access to advanced cancer treatment within the country.
At Kairuki Hospital, the investment includes High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), an advanced technology that uses focused ultrasound energy to target tumours without conventional surgery.
During his visit, Mr. Kikwete toured the HIFU facility at the Mikocheni hospital and commended the investment, saying the technology provides an important treatment option for patients with prostate cancer and other tumours while potentially reducing recovery time.
The hospital’s HIFU Specialist, Fredy Rutachunzimbwa, said 444 patients have been treated at the facility since the installation of the HIFU machine, including 95 men treated for prostate-cancer-related tumours.
Kairuki Hospital Director Dr. Asser Mchomvu said available statistics show prostate cancer is the leading cancer affecting men in Tanzania and among the most common cancers affecting men globally.
He said prostate cancer accounts for between 31.4 percent and 40 percent of cancer cases among men registered at health facilities in Tanzania, while ranking as the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men, after throat and liver cancers.
The developments at Kairuki also illustrate the role of private-sector investment in advancing the healthcare ambitions of Dira 2050, the country’s new long-term development vision, which places human capital, technology, innovation and quality social services at the centre of national transformation.
For the emerging healthcare economy, investment in specialist equipment, diagnostics, treatment technologies and medical expertise could strengthen domestic capacity, reduce the need for patients to seek specialised care abroad and create a foundation for an advanced health tourism ecosystem.
