The event was also aimed at raising awareness about cancer prevention and encouraging people to seek early screening for the disease, which remains a major health concern globally.
According to GLOBOCAN, an international cancer statistics database, about 7,000 people in Rwanda are diagnosed with cancer every year, with more than half of them dying from the disease.
Between 2019 and 2023, Rwanda recorded 26,092 new cancer cases, while 8,578 people died from the disease, representing a mortality rate of 32.9%.
Concerned by the impact of cancer, Rotary Clubs across Rwanda have launched a fundraising campaign to purchase a SPECT scanner, a medical imaging machine used to detect and monitor cancer as well as other serious conditions affecting organs such as the brain and bones.
The machine is estimated to cost $5 million, equivalent to more than Rwf7 billion.
The fundraising campaign was launched as part of the Car Free Day activities, with Rotary Clubs and the Ministry of Health using the event to encourage Kigali residents to learn more about cancer, its prevention and the importance of early diagnosis.
Alex Ndibwami, President of Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga, said the initiative was prompted by the number of people who die from cancer because the disease is often detected late or its spread in the body cannot be properly assessed.
“Statistics show that many people in Rwanda die from cancer because they do not have the opportunity to get screened early. Some of them could have been treated successfully if the disease had been detected earlier. Even when cancer is diagnosed, it can be difficult to determine whether it has spread to other parts of the body,” Ndibwami said.
He added that Rwandans who can afford to seek specialised cancer services abroad spend at least $3,000 travelling to countries such as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, where the equipment is available.
Rotary Clubs plan to increase the funds raised more than tenfold through partnerships with various institutions, particularly financial institutions, with a target of raising $500,000 by the end of 2026.
“We are exploring ways to increase the funds by more than tenfold so that, by the end of 2026, we will have raised at least $500,000 through partnerships with financial institutions, including banks, and other organisations,” Ndibwami said.
He said the Rotary Clubs also plan to approach Rotary International to seek its support in acquiring the SPECT scanner for Rwanda.
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