Cancer Radiation Center at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center in Moshi completes second phase of construction
The United States has finished the second phase of the construction of the Cancer Radiation Center at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre in the Moshi Municipality of Northern Tanzania.
The facility at the KCMC Hospital is built through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the USAID American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) program.
A statement from the U.S embassy reveals that the United States of America is funding the construction of the vital health facility at KCMC in partnership with the Government of Tanzania.
On the other hand, the Cancer Care Centre (CCC) in Kilimanjaro is described to be a ‘full-service’ capacity structure, bringing radiation therapy within reach for people living hundreds of miles away, addressing a significant gap in Tanzania’s cancer care.
Currently, Tanzania has only two cancer centers in the country, striving to serve a population of more than 62 million people.
The planned radiation therapy offered by the new center in Moshi will therefore provide essential treatment care for cancer patients.
The Cancer Radiation Center at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center currently manages over 900 new cancer cases annually, with an estimated 65 percent of patients needing radiation therapy.
“The United States Agency for International Development’s ASHA program supports overseas schools, libraries, hospitals, and centers to strengthen partnerships between Americans and people in other countries,” said the program Officer and Analyst Azara Turaki during her recent visit to monitor the progress of the construction project.
“USAID’s support of this cancer radiation center is a tangible symbol of the United States’ steadfast commitment to supporting Tanzania in building a stronger, more resilient healthcare system,” maintained the USAID ASHA official.
Construction of the Cancer Care Center began in August 2021, with an initial investment of USD 1.3 million from the Tanzanian government.
USAID’s ASHA project, in partnership with the Foundation for Cancer Care Tanzania (FCCT), a U.S.-based non-profit, has contributed a total of USD 2.9 million for both construction and for the purchasing of state-of-the-art equipment.