The proposal by the federal government to integrate cancer care into health insurance schemes is a positive development that points to an official willingness to take the lead in the fight against deadly cancer. Integrating cancer care into health insurance is crucial to ensuring that more Nigerians can access timely and affordable treatment.

This is against the backdrop that cancer treatment can be prohibitively expensive, often leading to financial hardship for patients and their families. The government can alleviate this burden and improve access to potentially life-saving interventions by including cancer care in health insurance packages. It is also in line with the World Health Organisation?s (WHO) position on the importance of universal health coverage (UHC) in achieving health equity and reducing the burden of disease.

Nigeria faces a significant cancer burden, a crisis exacerbated by limited access to affordable care because the current reality is that medical insurance does not cover cancer care comprehensively; and a significant majority of Nigerians pay out-of-pocket for cancer treatment, a cost that can be crippling. Also, many people with cancer begin their medical treatment but stop along the line because of their inability to afford the expenses. Hence, urgent action is needed to improve access to care and reduce the devastating impact of this disease.

The government?s planned initiative was unveiled at this year?s World Cancer Day, observed yearly on February 4th, which serves as a global reminder of the battle against cancer; particularly to advocate for improved prevention, detection, and treatment; and highlight innovative solutions. In particular, the 2025 theme for World Cancer Day, ?United by Unique,? emphasizes the importance of individual stories and personalised care in the fight against this disease.

It is equally instructive that Nigeria?s oncologists advocate improved cancer care services. This includes investing in infrastructure, capacity building and training healthcare professionals, and ensuring the availability of essential medicines and technologies. Certainly, merely integrating cancer care into the national health care insurance scheme without strengthening cancer care services will not do the magic.

Although, health insurance offers a pathway to financial protection, ensuring that more Nigerians access timely and appropriate care without facing financial ruin, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has a huge gap to fill in providing adequate coverage for cancer treatments.

Strengthening preventive measures and health insurance can also incentivise and support prevention efforts. Hence, the federal government should improve the state of cancer screening programmes and in particular, infuse the insurance scheme into screening, given that prevention is less costly and more effective than seeking a cure. Though data on the effectiveness of current cancer screening programmes in Nigeria is limited, it is clear that these programmes need strengthening for improved services.

Government at all levels must be strategic about navigating the challenges of implementation because NHIS representatives frequently cite the immense budget impact that cancer care coverage entails, and the limited funds available to cover other high-prevalence, communicable diseases in the country, as key factors for the partial or total exclusion of cancer care on the scheme. Even, the diseases on the NHIS are poorly covered due to financial constraints.

More often than not, Nigerians already on the NHIS go through difficult documentation on dysfunctional digital platforms leading to frustration. Many patients resort to paying out-of-pocket. As such, the government may need to monitor strictly the implementation of NHIS and possibly carry out a survey to gather data on the experiences of Nigerians who are already enrolled on the scheme to address the gaps.

As policymakers translate their commitment into tangible action, ensuring that every Nigerian has the opportunity to fight cancer with dignity and hope; the federal government and civil society organisations should continue to sensitise Nigerians on health insurance benefits (as low enrollment rates can hinder the impact of expanded coverage), the causes of cancer, and harp on the need to go for constant cancer testing or screening because early detection saves lives.

Oncologists should add their voices to a call for change by educating the public and policymakers about the importance of early detection, prevention, and access to quality care. Furthermore, healthcare professionals, especially oncologists beyond playing a vital role in providing quality care and conducting research, should remain at the fore in advocating policy changes; and guiding policy by providing expert input on the design and implementation of cancer insurance programmes to ensure they meet the needs of patients; and driving quality improvements by championing efforts to improve the quality of cancer care services, including training, infrastructure, and access to essential medicines.

Civil society organisations beyond raising awareness could support patients and families and hold the government accountable. At the same time, the private sector can contribute through investments in research, development and the provision of innovative technologies. As part of their social investment, the private sector should support the government with a donation of machines; and support in the rehabilitation, equipping and operation of existing cancer centres that provide advanced radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment services.

Also, initiatives like the Roche-led private-sector coalition which, with the support of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) created the Nigerian Cancer Health Fund (CHF) offer a glimpse of other possibilities. They constitute an innovative way to ensure the affordability of cancer treatments for patients at treatment centres and a key part of the nation?s efforts to achieve UHC. The Nigerian CHF offers the potential to provide comprehensive care for people with breast, prostate and cervical cancers.

Again, individuals should make healthy lifestyle choices and go for constant cancer testing or screening because early detection saves lives. For breast cancer, women should go for mammography at least once a year. For cervical cancer, women should also go for screening and vaccination; while men should screen for prostate cancer. These are germane because if cancer is diagnosed early and subjected to treatment and management; there will be a reduction in the loss of lives.

With concerted efforts, Nigeria can make significant progress in reducing the burden of cancer and improving the lives of those affected by creating a more equitable and effective cancer care system. The government has raised the hopes of Nigerians with its insurance initiative. President Bola Tinubu and his team, as well as state governors and their health team, have a duty to implement the proposal and prevent the dashing of hope of poor Nigerians. (The Guardian Editorial)

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