Health

FG To Unveil Three Cancer Treatment Centers In May

By Alice Etuka, Abuja

In line with efforts to provide relief to cancer patients, the Federal Government has hinted its plan to commission three cancer treatment centers in May, 2025.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, disclosed this at a press conference to mark this year’s World Cancer Day in Abuja on Tuesday.

Commemorated globally on February 4 every year, the day has “United by Unique” as theme.

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The Minister informed that plans had been finalised to establish and upgrade six Federal Teaching Hospitals with new Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine facilities across the country.

“Three of the centers are planned to be commissioned in May, 2025 and the remaining three will be commissioned on or before the 2026 World Cancer Day.

“We intend to sustain this initiative throughout the life span of this administration so that before 2030, every part of this country would have been equipped to treat all forms of cancers”, he said.

This, he said, was a unique strategy to attain the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) global target of eliminating cervical cancer and other preventable cancers by the year 2030.

Salako also informed that the government developed a health insurance coverage plan to care for cancer patients in accordance with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act of 2022.

According to him, the health insurance will benefit from the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) and other funding mechanisms within the NHIA.
He also said that the ministry was upscaling its efforts to improve access to cancer care services in all the Federal Tertiary Hospitals for prompt diagnosis and comprehensive treatment.

He said that cancer care ought to be localised and not be focused on the urban areas alone and to ensure more participation at the local level, henceforth, the Federal Government would incentivise states and local governments to participate in cancer treatment.

The minister also inaugurated the newly constituted 35-member Nuclear Medicine Technical Working Group (NM-TWG) to serve as an advisory body to the ministry on development and implementation of Nuclear Medicine services in the country.

This, he said, would also strengthen the nation’s collaborative efforts with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other international agencies.

On his part, the Director-General, National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Prof. Usman Aliyu, said that the organisation had made significant strides in implementing the National Strategic Cancer Control Plan 2023–2027.

They include training of healthcare workers across the six geopolitical zones in basic cancer prevention services and equipping them with the necessary skills to enhance early detection and treatment.

“NICRAT is building research capacity across selected institutions in the six geopolitical zones, pioneering collaborative research in cancer genomics.

“This initiative is set to map genetic mutations of common cancers in Nigeria, laying a solid foundation for precision oncology care, not only in Nigeria but for the entire black race.”

The President, Nigeria Cancer Society (NCS), Prof. Abidemi Omonisi, decried the N150 million allotted to the Cancer Health Fund (CHF) in the 2025 Appropriation Bill”, he stated.

According to him, a cancer patient requires between N15 million and N25 million from diagnosis to stabilisation which many cannot even afford.
He also said that some cancers which had been neglected over the years and were not included in the CHF for government funding for treatment should be considered too.

Omonisi lamented the non-involvement of many state governments in the fight against cancer, adding that though the Federal Government was making a lot of efforts, the states had a lot to do for the impact to be felt.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative to Nigeria, Dr Walter Mulombo, noted that this year’s theme highlights that everyone’s cancer experience was unique, but could overcome when people unite. He added that the theme focuses on a people-centered approach to cancer care.

“This approach aims to put the needs of individuals, families, and communities at the center of the health system.

“We should not focus just on treating the disease, but we should adopt perspectives and experiences of individuals, carers, families and communities as participants in, and beneficiaries of health systems that respond to their needs and preferences in holistic ways”, he said.

 

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