The first lady of Kebbi State, Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, has been nominated for the presidency of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).
The UICC is an international non-governmental organisation affiliated with the World Health Organisation (WHO) with members in 172 countries.
It is dedicated to taking the lead in capacity-building and advocacy initiatives that unite and support the cancer community.
The other nominees for the position are Ulrika Kagstrom of Sweden and Daiming Fan of China.
On October 11, 2022, member organisations of the union will vote for their desired candidate who will lead the body for two years.
In 2018, Bagudu was elected to a two-year term as a director of the UICC. In 2020 she was re-elected as a director for another term of two years.
In those four years, Bagudu built on her work in cancer advocacy to make UICC widely known in Nigeria and many other African countries. She also mobilised to mainstream cancer care and advocacy.
She chairs the First Ladies Against Cancer Initiative and has lobbied the national and state assemblies for better policies and funding to support cancer care.
Shinkafi-Bagudu said as president of the UICC, she would focus on accessibility, affordability, and availability of the tools needed for cancer treatment.
“Cancer patients in high-income countries (HICs) are exploring the benefits of cancer innovations like genomic science, cutting-edge clinical trials, and the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence,” she said.
“I want this for all countries, along with the research skills to adapt their use to support patients’ needs locally. Cancer Patients in many LMICs are already bearing the brunt of cancer-related mortality often with little access to cancer management, pain medication and palliative care.”