Curbing Rising Rate Of Cancer In Nigeria

The aged mother of Mrs Kemi Akingbola, a Lagos-based civil servant, was bed-ridden for about six months before she died.

While she writhed in acute pains during the period, concerned family members viewed the ailment as a witchcraft attack, a trend common in rural communities in Nigeria, when indeed; the old woman was in an advanced stage of cancer.

“Every attempt to move mama to Lagos for medical treatment was rebuffed by her as she did not want to be a burden to us. By the time she agreed to come, she was eventually diagnosed as having cervical cancer at its acute stage,” recalls Kemi.

Such experience is not unique to Kemi, as ignorance and late medical attention are often the bane of most medical patients in Nigeria.

Medical experts say that cancer is a leading cause of death around the world and by the projections of the World Health Organisation (WHO); an estimated 84 million people will die from the disease between 2005 and 2015 if there are no intervention programmes.

In Nigeria, for instance, cancer has become a public health issue, as it afflicts all sexes, regardless of age and social status. In fact, it has become a major cause of death.

WHO says that low-income and medium-income countries are harder hit by cancer than the high-resource countries, just as it reiterates that it is essential to address the world’s growing cancer burden by working out effective control measures.

The World Cancer Day, which is marked on every Feb. 4, is part of universal efforts to raise awareness on cancer. Its celebration was part of the provisions of the Charter of Paris, adopted in 2000 at the World Summit against Cancer for the New Millennium.

The charter had called for a strong alliance between researchers, healthcare professionals, patients, governments, industry partners and the media to fight the scourge of cancer.

The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) takes responsibility for coordinating the celebration of World Cancer Day globally. It receives support from various partners and organisations such as the WHO, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), among others.

In course of the celebrations, fund-raising events are organised nationally, while enlightenment campaigns are held to raise awareness on cancer.

According to Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, Nigeria’s Minister of Health, millions of cancer deaths in Nigeria can be avoided through preventive measures, early detection and treatment.

Health analysts moan that cancer is indeed prevalent in poor and developing nations of the world, which are least equipped to deal with the crises associated with the disease, hence their clamour for an effective cancer-control programme involving all stakeholders.

They point out that beyond the need for newer medical technology, more sophisticated machines and diagnostic techniques, it is imperative to have culturally acceptable, cost effective and innovative health care delivery systems.

Nigeria’s National Council on Health (NCH) expresses worry over the increased rate of cancer in the country, saying that about 350,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed annually.

It warns that if the situation is not checked urgently, the number could rise to 500,000 by 2020.

At its 53rd Session in 2010, the NCH approved for implementation, cancer prevention and screening services in federal, state and local health institutions, so as to check the spread of the disease.

However, health analysts express worry that critical equipment and personnel for effective management of cancer are still lacking in the country and so, want the government to decisively address these issues.

Also mindful of the very high costs of treating cancer, some medics and groups have called for free cancer treatment for all sufferers in the country.

Prof. Nene Obianyo, the President of the International College of Surgeons (Nigeria National Section), says that “cancer management in Nigeria should be free or subsidised’’.

According to her, cancer cases should be treated with the same seriousness accorded to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

“With the availability of effective antiretroviral treatment, the ability to pay for the treatment became equivalent to the ability to survive. Currently, many organisations have invested in free treatment for HIV/AIDS,’’ she says.

On his part, Dr Mma Nwokochia, a surgeon, says that government at all levels must be ready to help in the fight against cancer by doing “the right thing” on awareness.

“We can only win the war against cancer when all the stakeholders, government, nurses, surgeons and everyone in the health sector, do the right thing,’’ she says.

Chukwu discloses that the health ministry has procured 11 mammography machines and other cancer-screening equipment for distribution to various health institutions across the country.

“These equipment will be distributed to our teaching hospitals and federal medical centres to enable early diagnosis of breast, cervical and prostate cancers.

“They will augment the already existing ones purchased through the VAMED Project to increase cancer screening coverage in the country,’’ he says.

Notwithstanding these measures, health observers recommend increased public sensitisation campaigns and the establishment of free screening services for prostate, cervical and breast cancers at designated centres in the country.

They further stress the need for realistic inter-ministerial approaches to combat cancer, saying that the fight cannot be left to the health ministry to handle alone.

For instance, they urge the Ministry of Labour and other agencies charged with environmental management, to work together to ensure viable measures that will protect workers against carcinogenic substances and other environmental pollutants inimical to human health.

No doubt, the fight against the scourge of cancer must be collective and global, while in Nigeria particularly, a viable and realistic national policy on cancer management should be evolved.

Bola Akingbehin writes for NAN

Bola Akingbehin