Minister Lauds NGO’s Cancer Control Initiative

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has commended an NGO, Lift Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO), for initiating a cancer prevention and control programme in the country.

Adewole gave the commendation at a dialogue session on LAPO Community Campaign for Cancer Control (LAPO C4) project in Benin, Edo State.

The minister, represented by Prof. Michael Ibadin, the Chief Medical Director, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, said that it was a worthy venture for LAPO to have initiated the cancer prevention and control programme.

According to him, early detection is a key to cure of the disease.

Adewole said that it was worthwhile for NGOs to support government in providing health services to the populace, adding that government alone could not accomplish such tasks.

He said incidences of cancers cut across ages and gender, adding that government was doing a lot to put structure in place to manage cancer cases and reduce morbidity.

“A national cancer centre dedicated to the management of cancer patients is almost completed in the country.

“There are ongoing plans to replace the faulty cancer treatment machines in all the treatment centres.

“The financial burden of the treatment of the disease is huge and at present, a Linear accelerator for treating cancer cost about N600 million,” he said. In his remarks, the founder of the organisation, Dr Godwin Ehigiamosue, said that LAPO C4 was to encourage early detection and reduce morbidity rate of the disease.

He said that the C4 programme was to run for two years in four states: Edo, Imo, Rivers, Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“Research has shown that the main barriers to cancer control in Nigeria include poor access to screening services and inadequate awareness.

“The LAPO C4 project will, therefore, support the implementation of Nigeria National Cancer Control Plan through enhanced collaboration of stakeholders to reduce the morbidity and socio-economic effect of the disease,” he said.

Ehigiamosue said that 13 community-based organisations have been empowered financially with N2 million each to support    implementation of the project in the target states.