Cancer: ‘Nigeria has less than 5,000 radiographers for over 200m population’

The Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN) has said the country has less than 5,000 radiographers and less than 100 trained radiation therapists for a population of over 200million citizens. This is as the Board has underscored the need for training of more radiographers who are critical players in cancer diagnosis and treatment in Nigeria. […]

The Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN) has said the country has less than 5,000 radiographers and less than 100 trained radiation therapists for a population of over 200million citizens.

This is as the Board has underscored the need for training of more radiographers who are critical players in cancer diagnosis and treatment in Nigeria.

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The registrar of the Board, Professor Mark Okeji, stated this yesterday in Abuja during the organisation’s cancer awareness summit titled: “Reducing the scourge of cancer in Nigeria through early detection and treatment: The role of radiographers.”

Professor Okeji said the summit was aimed at bringing together, policymakers in government, stakeholders in cancer management in hospitals and regulators whose duties are to check quackery in order to reduce some of the risk factors.

The Minister of State for Health, Joseph Ekumankama, said the ministry had made tremendous efforts to expand access to radiotherapy services in Nigeria, adding that one of the major challenges is the availability of relevant skilled personnel to man the facilities, including radiotherapists and diagnostic radiographers.