The African proverb that lasting change comes not from speed but from collective endurance finds practical expression in Uganda through the Rotary Cancer Run, a partnership that has drawn sustained support from advertising agency Maad McCann over more than a decade.
What began as a fundraising run twelve years ago has evolved into a national public Health initiative, uniting corporate organizations, schools, families, businesses and institutions behind a shared mission to improve cancer care across the country. The campaign has mobilized more than 250,000 participants and raised approximately UGX 5 billion, funding a dedicated cancer ward at St. Francis Hospital Nsambya, expanding its bed capacity, and equipping the facility with specialized medical equipment through Rotary Global Grants. Construction of a fully-fledged cancer treatment centre is now underway.
The partnership endures, Maad McCann says, because the cause sits close to home. Staff members have supported parents through treatment, rallied around friends, and faced the uncertainty that comes with a diagnosis. The agency’s head of PR noted that the collaboration has never been about fulfilling a corporate responsibility requirement but about responding to a crisis that touches nearly every Ugandan household.
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s Global Cancer Observatory, Uganda records about 36,000 new cancer cases annually, while nearly 25,000 people die from the disease each year. The Rotary Cancer Run provides a practical channel for public response, reaching communities across the country with the message that cancer is a fight belonging to all.
Beyond race day, the initiative has built infrastructure and awareness that extend well beyond symbolic participation. Maad McCann confirmed its team will return for this year’s run, joining thousands of Ugandans in what has become a collective pledge to expand treatment access and support patients through sustained, incremental action rather than any single grand gesture.
