FG tasks stakeholders on reducing Nigeria’s cancer burden

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare , Prof. Muhammad Pate has called on stakeholders to pay attention to the prevention and reduction of the cancer burden in the country. He made the call Tuesday in Abuja during the  International World Cancer Week (ICW) ,organised by the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment  […]

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare , Prof. Muhammad Pate has called on stakeholders to pay attention to the prevention and reduction of the cancer burden in the country.

He made the call Tuesday in Abuja during the  International World Cancer Week (ICW) ,organised by the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment  (NICRAT) in collaboration with the Nigeria Cancer Society ( NCS) and other partners.

He said cancer is among the  fastest growing, non-communicable diseases ( NCDs)  in Nigeria.

He added that “NCDs including cancers are the fastest growing segment of the country’s burden  of morbidity and mortality, small but rapidly growing. And we don’t have the luxury of waiting until more people have cancer to deal with it.”

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He also called on the National Assembly to continue to invest in not just infrastructure and  human resources but also in the catastrophic fund for cost of care.

The Director General of NICRAT, Prof. Usman Malami Aliyu said the aim of the International Cancer Week is to among other things, foster the adoption of innovative technologies in cancer care, promote comprehensive training for health professionals, advocate for the expansion and modernisation of cancer care facilities and encourage the implementation of comprehensive programs to support cancer survivors.

He said  the choice of the   theme for this year’s ICW- ‘Accelerating Nigeria’s Path to Comprehensive Cancer Control: Innovation, Access, and Partnership’, is apt and timely, considering the commitment of the Institute to deliver on its mandates.

Highlight of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding ( MOU) between the federal ministry of health , NICRAT and Roche , a pharmaceutical company. It is geared towards  shifting  the outcomes of breast cancer in Nigeria  from ‘1 in 2’ diagnosed breast cancer patients dying to ‘4 in 5  breast cancer  patients surviving’ beyond five years, which  aligns  more closely with outcomes in developed countries.

Dr. Ladi Hameed, General Manager Roche Products Limited said that  breast cancer is the leading cancer in females in Nigeria, with a reported incidence of 32,000 new cases in 2022.