Federal Government Begins A Fight-Back Against Cancer Burden

The Nigerian government is intensifying its fight-back prevailing cancer burden in the country deploying a multiplicity of approaches.

On the heels of unveiling two landmark national policy documents aimed at strengthening cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, it has followed up with the launch of a nationwide free cancer screening programme.

This free cancer screening programme would help other efforts towards a reduction of the cancer burden in the country.

Researches have shown that Nigeria recorded 269,109 cases of cancer within 5 years up till 2022 with the total number of new cases and deaths of cancer in the year 2022 estimated to be 127,763 and 79,542, respectively.

Breast cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, and non‐Hodgkin lymphoma are ranked first to fifth, respectively, with the figures expected to have climbed even higher some three years after.

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The Minister of State for Health & Social Welfare Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, who describes cancer as a major public health challenge in the country, officially flagged off the launch of a nationwide free cancer screening programme during weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Nigeria he informed, currently has the highest cancer burden in Africa in terms of incidence and mortality, with cancer-related deaths in Nigeria exceeding fatalities from tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS combined.

Dr. Salako explained that the free screening exercise will cover 6,000 asymptomatic Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones.

The screening would focus on the three most common cancers in the country – breast, cervical and prostate cancers.

Though the global mortality rate of cancer is about 28 percent, Nigeria records far above the global average, he said, adding that the latest onslaught against the disease aligns with the prevention-focused strategy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

According to him, there are plans to integrate basic cancer screening services into primary healthcare centres before the end of President Tinubu’s first term in May 2027.