Dr Adamu Alhassan Umar, President of the Nigerian Cancer Society, said 124,815 new cases of cancer were recorded in Nigeria in 2020, with 78,899 cancer-related deaths recorded.
Umar noted that Nigeria had an “abysmally low” cancer survival figure due to late presentation, lack of awareness, weak health infrastructure, poverty and high cost of care which comes with catastrophic impact on families’ finances.
The situation is compounded by low budgetary allocation for cancer prevention and control, with N729,861797 million budgeted in 2020 and N294,081,336 million in 2021.
Mainly, cancer treatment comes in two major ways. The first is chemotherapy, generally an aggressive form of chemical drug therapy that destroys rapidly growing cells as cancer cells grow and divide faster than other cells. The second, radiotherapy, deployed in the early stages of cancer, uses radiation to kill cancer cells.
TODAY
February 5, 2021
The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has approved 12 additional hospitals for chemotherapy in the ongoing Cancer Access Partnership Programme aimed at over 50 per cent cost reduction.
He disclosed this in a statement he issued on Thursday in Abuja to mark the World Cancer Day, annually marked on February 4 to raise awareness on cancer and to encourage its prevention, early detection, and treatment.
He said that the Federal Ministry of Health under his watch had continued to improve access to cancer care services, especially in diagnosis, chemotherapy and radiotherapy services.
Chemotherapy is an aggressive form of chemical drug therapy meant to destroy rapidly growing cells in the body. It’s usually used to treat cancer, as cancer cells grow and divide faster than other cells.
Williams Babalola
The Federal Government of Nigeria has okayed 12 hospitals for cancer treatment in the ongoing Cancer Access Partnership Programme.
The hospital is aimed at over 50 per cent cost reduction, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, disclosed in Abuja on Thursday during the World Cancer Day.
He reiterated the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Health under his watch to improve access to cancer care services, especially in diagnosis, chemotherapy and radiotherapy services.
He said the ministry is currently improving services in some hospitals across the country, with installation of radiotherapy machines already in advanced stages in UNTH Enugu, UBTH Benin, UDUTH Sokoto, UCH Ibadan and ABUTH Zaria.