Nigerians seek timely release of treatment fund

As Nigeria joins the rest of the world in commemorating World Cancer Day (WCD) 2023, cancer advocacy groups have called for the timely release and full implementation of cancer treatment funds.

The supporters are calling on Saturdays during March to mark this year’s Cancer Day. The walk is organized by Project Pink Blue in partnership with other advocates.

Speaking immediately after the 5km walk, Gloria Orji, President, Network of People Impacted by Cancer in Nigeria (NEPICIN), said Nigeria has a very high burden of cancer and many people are dying due to lack of treatment.

Orji said that cancer is a costly disease that Nigerians cannot afford, so the cancer treatment fund will save many lives.

He said that only about 400 patients have benefited from the fund according to the information received.

“The last time I received information about the fund, I was told that about 400 patients benefited, which is still very little in the ocean. We have about N1 billion that we have yet to access.

“We ask that these funds be released to support cancer patients and help them survive the killer disease,” he said.

The Nigerian government in 2019 announced plans to launch a cancer treatment fund as part of efforts to reduce the burden of treating cancer in the country.

Although implementation has begun, the cancer patient community says they are yet to fully access the funds.

A deadly disease

Cancer is a disease that occurs when changes occur in groups of normal cells in the body that lead to uncontrolled and abnormal growth and form lumps called tumors.

Depending on where the tumor is found, cancer is generally classified into five main groups including Carcinoma, which affects the layers of cells that help protect organs such as the breast, lungs, colon or prostate; Lymphoma and Myeloma, which affect the immune system, and Sarcoma, which affect bone or soft tissue.

There is also Leukemia, which affects the blood, and tumors that affect the central nervous system, which may be brain or spinal cord cancer.

The most common cancers worldwide are breast, lung, colon and prostate cancer, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Overall, about 10 million people die from cancer every year worldwide, and 70 percent of these deaths occur in low- to middle-income countries including Nigeria.

Nigeria, compared to most developing countries, still lags behind in cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survival rates.

This is due to many factors such as late detection, misdiagnosis, lack of medical expertise to treat patients, lack of chemotherapy or radiotherapy machines and high cost of cancer management.

Although there is no definite cause of cancer, several predisposing factors such as smoking, alcohol, air pollution, excessive exposure to radiation, viruses, genetic/hereditary factors and others have been identified.

Financial aid

The Program Coordinator at Project Pink Blue, Gloria Okwu, said Nigeria is a significant contributor to the burden of cancer worldwide.

Ms Okwu said the number of people dying from cancer in Nigeria continues to rise every year because of the high cost of management.

He called on the government and other stakeholders to help cancer patients to reduce the burden of treatment.

MD of Transcorp Hotel, Dupe Olushola, said cancer is real and can affect anyone at any time.

Ms Olushola said it was important to create awareness about cancer and also ensure access to adequate funding.

“For us, creating this awareness is important because we cannot afford to lose our youth every year,” he said.

He called on the government and all private stakeholders to invest in health and improve the lives of citizens.

World Cancer Day

World Cancer Day is an international event marked on February 4 each year, to raise awareness of the disease and encourage prevention, detection, and treatment.

This year’s theme is “Close the Care Gap: Uniting Our Voices and Taking Action.”

In a statement to commemorate the day, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, said that this year’s campaign calls on like-minded people to build stronger alliances and new innovative collaborations in the fight against cancer.

Ms Moeti said cancer remains a public health issue of major concern.

He noted that approximately 1.1 million new cancer cases occur each year in Africa, with approximately 700,000 deaths.

“Data estimates show an increase in cancer mortality to almost one million deaths per year by 2030, without urgent and courageous interventions,” he said.

Walk awareness

Run 5km, tagged: “Choke Cancer” has participated bikers, cyclists in full equipment, skaters, women carrying placards, men and children.

He walked from the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in the Federal Capital Territory through the federal secretariat road to raise awareness about the disease that claims thousands of lives every year.

Medical services are also provided on the sidelines for the participants of the walk. Some services include screening for breast, cervical and prostate cancer, as well as blood sugar and Hepatitis B tests.