The National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) says over 120,000 new cancer cases are reported yearly in Nigeria.

To this end, the Institute’s Director General, Prof. Usman Malami Aliyu, who disclosed this, vowed that NICRAT would work with all relevant stakeholders to disrupt the dreaded disease in Nigeria through awareness creation and improved access to treatment and research.

Prof. Aliyu said this at the 7th Annual Conference of the Association of Nigeria Health Journalists (ANHEJ), at Akwanga, Nasarawa State.

He regretted that the statistics of incidences and deaths occasioned by the disease was alarming.

He explained that his institute was doing everything possible to halt the disease in the country.

Represented by Malam Hassan Zaggi at the conference organized by ANHEJ in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, WHO, Aliyu explained that the institute has mapped out strategies to increase experts in the area of cancer by the training and retraining of different categories of health workers in the country.

According to him, statistics indicated that in 2020, an estimated 78,000 people died as a result of cancer related complications.

Out of this number, 44,699 were females while 34,200 were males.

“With these gory statistics, NICRAT is determined to work with all relevant stakeholders to disrupt cancer in Nigeria through intense awareness creation and improved access to treatment and research.

“We have mapped out strategies to geometrically increase cancer experts in the country through training and retraining of all categories of health professionals.

“In our commitment and preparedness to disrupt all forms of cancers and ensure those with the illness have access to the best care and support in the country, we recently launched three strategic documents.

“The three documents include National Strategic Cancer Control Plan 2023-2027; National cancer Research Agenda 2024-2027 and National Strategic Plan for Prevention of Cancer of Uterine Cervix 2023-2027.

“All these documents have priority areas of action that address governance, prevention, supply chain management, data and research as well as surveillance, which are in tandem with the aim of the current leadership of the Ministry of Health to improve the health of all Nigerians,” he said.

While commending the President Bola Tinubu-led administration for giving cancer care priority, he said, “this was demonstrated by the recent movement of Cancer Trust Fund from the Federal Ministry of Health to NICRAT.”

This, he noted, will greatly improve the operation of the Institute to tackle all cancer-related issues.

On the efforts made to bring together critical stakeholders in the fight against cancer, the NICRAT Director General said: “Since my assumption of office over nine months ago, we have worked hard to lay a solid foundation for Nigeria to join the league of countries that have all the sophistication to control, prevent, treat and conduct cancer research.

“With the understanding that cancer care and treatment need multi-dimensional and multi-sectoral approach, over the past few months we have built partnership and alliances with relevant agencies of government including the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the National Health Insurance Agency (NHIA) and Civil Society Organisations working in the area of cancer,” he added. (Vanguard)

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