The Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) has achieved a major medical breakthrough after successfully performing its first bone marrow transplant entirely by Ugandan doctors.
The landmark procedure was carried out on 45-year-old Steven Sande, a Uganda Revenue Authority staff member from Namayingo in eastern Uganda, who had been battling multiple myeloma—a serious cancer of the blood plasma cells.
His condition had gradually worsened over time, leaving him weak, bedridden, and fully dependent on caregivers, with persistent pain and severe fatigue.
Sande had reached a point where he had accepted the possibility of death. However, after being assessed at the Uganda Cancer Institute, doctors offered him a rare opportunity: an autologous stem cell transplant, a highly specialised procedure where a patient’s own stem cells are collected, high-dose chemotherapy is used to clear diseased cells, and the healthy cells are then reinfused to rebuild the bone marrow.
He was selected in December 2025 after doctors confirmed he was medically stable and had responded well to initial treatment. The procedure was fully funded by the government.
During the transplant process, Sande underwent intense chemotherapy that completely wiped out his immune system, before being placed in strict isolation for close monitoring.
For 22 days, his survival depended entirely on specialised care in a sterile environment where even minor infections could have been dangerous.
Doctors later confirmed that the transplant had worked successfully when his body began producing new healthy blood cells, a critical stage known as engraftment. He was discharged on April 24, 2026 in stable condition, becoming the first Ugandan patient to walk out of UCI after a locally performed bone marrow transplant.
His recovery was described by doctors as both historic and symbolic, not only for him as a patient but for Uganda’s healthcare system.
Until now, patients requiring such treatment were routinely sent abroad, mainly to India, South Africa, or Europe, at a cost ranging between $30,000 and $50,000, excluding travel and accommodation.
At UCI, the procedure cost about $15,000 under government funding.
Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, who officiated Sande’s discharge, said the success reflects Uganda’s growing capacity to handle complex medical procedures locally and reduce dependence on overseas treatment.
UCI specialists explained that while the procedure does not guarantee a permanent cure, it significantly improves survival and delays the progression of multiple myeloma, which is a long-term condition that can still return in the future.
The achievement follows years of preparation led by the transplant team, which began developing the programme in 2017. Progress initially stalled due to funding challenges but gained momentum in 2023 after renewed government support, training abroad, and the establishment of dedicated protocols.
Medical experts at UCI say the demand for bone marrow transplants in Uganda is high, particularly for blood cancers, but capacity remains limited as the facility currently operates with only one transplant bed.
Expansion plans are underway to increase the number of procedures and extend services to other conditions such as leukemia and sickle cell disease.
