…Says Nigerians spend over one billion dollars on foreign treatment annually
By Chimezie Godfrey
In commemoration of the World Cancer Day 2023, the GivingTide International, a non-profit initiative, says establishment of a Comprehensive Cancer Centre (CCC) is key to optimally tackle all the spectrums of cancer carer.
This is disclosed in statement by the Executive Secretary of the organisation, Dr. Abia Nzelu pointing out that the CCC is not a hospital with a radiotherapy machine but a world-class, stand-alone tertiary health institution, with all its units focused solely on cancer care.
Nzelu noted that cancer is a major cause of geographic, racial, social and gender inequality, adding that about 70% of cancer deaths occur in developing nations like Nigeria due to lack of access to basic cancer care infrastructure by many.
She disclosed that Nigeria has an estimated 124,815 new cases and 78,899 cancer deaths, yearly, adding that the most common cancers in adult Nigerians include breast (22.7%), prostate (12.3%), cervical (9.7%) Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (5.9%), and liver (4.2%) cancers, contributing to more than half of the new cancer cases.
The Expert who said in Africa , about 1.1 million new cancer cases occur each year, with about 700,000 deaths, therefore stressed that comprehensive cancer centre would tackle challenges of cancer care.
“A Comprehensive Cancer Centre (CCC) is the only institution that can optimally tackle all the spectrums of cancer carer. The CCC is NOT a hospital with a radiotherapy machine. Rather, it is a world-class, stand-alone tertiary health institution, with all its units focused solely on cancer care. The CCC houses first-class cancer research, preventive, curative and palliative care in one place resulting in better outcomes across a range of measures – including, most importantly, cancer survival.
“In this regard, most nations are far ahead of Nigeria. For instance, India has over 200 CCC – most of which are philanthropy-funded non-profits. African nations that have CCC include Egypt, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya and Sudan. Nigeria has no CCC. No, not one. Therefore, while other nations are in a position to work towards “closing the care gap” our herculean task here in Nigeria amounts to bridging an ever-widening chasm in cancer care.
“Nigerians now spend over one billion dollars on foreign treatment annually, an amount sufficient to establish twenty (20) CCC every year. Unfortunately, most Nigerians who go abroad for treatment end up dying because of late diagnosis and delay in intervention. Moreover, unforeseen situations (such as the COVID-19 lockdown) may make it impossible to go on medical tourism, even if one could afford it,” Nzelu said.
She said without urgent and bold interventions, there would be a considerable increase in cancer mortality in Africa, to nearly a million deaths per year by 2030.
She further said that in Sub-Saharan Africa, childhood cancer occurs in 56 out of every out of every million persons and that it was projected, adding that Africa would account for about half of the total global childhood cancer burden by 2050.
She said 2023 is the second year of the “close the care gap” campaign, which is about understanding the inequalities in cancer care and taking action to make the necessary progress to address them, adding that it is an opportunity to examine the socio-economic factors that lead to disparities in cancer prevention, incidence and survival, such as cultural and gender norms, income and education levels and biases based on age , gender, ethnicity, disability and lifestyle.
The Expert identified the in care gap in Africa to include: the low availability of population-based cancer registry, limited health promotion, inadequate access to primary prevention and early detection services, scarcity of diagnostic and therapeutic facilities that increase delays in diagnosis and treatment.
She therefore called for a collaborative effort at individual and community levels to tackle the health menace.
She said,”Provision of palliative care is rare in Africa, in spite of the significant need for it. Africa had only 3% of the world’s cancer treatment facilities, with radiotherapy available in just 22 sub-Saharan African nations, contributing to very low survival rates.
“By uniting voices and action, we can address cancer at individual and community levels, choosing healthy lifestyles, getting vaccinated and routine screening against preventable cancers. Above all, there is an urgent need for everyone to unite in support of the effort to establish world-class infrastructure for cancer care and training for the cancer workforce, which is accessible to all, irrespective of their financial status.
“GivingTide uses the opportunity of this year’s WCD to once again call on everyone, collectively and individually, to commit to the effort towards closing the cancer care gap by supporting the BIG WAR Against Cancer.”
Nzelu stressed that cancer is a public health of major concern, given the very grim in numbers, adding cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, representing nearly 1 in 6 deaths globally.
Quoting the WHO, Nzelu said 10 million people die each year from cancer, more than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. “By 2030, it is projected that cancer deaths will rise to 13 million, if we don’t act to close the care gap,” she asserted.
February 4 is marked annually as World Cancer Day (WCD) to promote awareness on cancer as a public health issue and to strengthen actions towards improving access to quality cancer care including screening, early detection, treatment and palliative care.
