Uganda’s first bone marrow transplant

Uganda has just achieved a groundbreaking milestone in healthcare. For the very first time, local doctors at the Uganda Cancer Institute successfully performed a bone marrow transplant. The patient, 45-year-old Stephen Sande from Namayingo District, was treated for multiple myeloma (a blood cancer affecting plasma cells) and discharged on April 24, 2026.This historic procedure was led by Dr. Clement Okello, Consultant Haematologist, and Dr. Henry Ddungu, Head of the Blood Cancers Unit, supported by a multidisciplinary team of specialists. The transplant, an autologous stem cell procedure using the patient’s own cells, cost about $15,000 locally, less than half the $30,000 to $50,000 it would have cost abroad. Fully funded by the Ugandan government, the operation required 22 days of isolation in a sterile environment to rebuild immunity. This success marks a turning point for Ugandan medicine, proving that highly specialized treatments can now be done at home, saving lives and reducing costs for patients who once had no choice but to travel overseas. Report by John Musenze Narration by Marjorine Namugenyi