NIGERIA’S former health minister, Professor Isaac Adewole, has said at least 50 percent of Nigerians on medical tourism do so for cancer, adding that its economic impact runs into a minimum of $1 billion for the country every year.
Professor Adewole spoke as a guest lecturer at the opening of the 10th celebration of the African Research Group for Oncology, with the theme ‘Changing the Cancer Care Landscape in Nigeria: The Role of Innovation, Collaboration, and Implementation,’ at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife.
Adewole said cancer tops the list for medical tourism from Nigeria, adding that if nothing is done, by 2040, cancer cases and mortality in Africa, by estimates, would have nearly doubled due to infection, changing population dynamics, lifestyle changes, diet and genetics.
The former minister described cancer as a global problem that contributes to about one out of every death worldwide, adding that it is not a curse but dealt with as people grow older and adopt unusual lifestyles.
According to him, “Cancer is a global problem. As of 2020, World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that there will be 18 million new cases and about 10 million of them will die from cancer. It is a leading cause of mortality and so there is no country in the world that will not record cancer.
“Cancer is a disease of ageing, and the older one becomes, the more of it we shall see. In West Africa, the top cancer is breast cancer. What is more worrisome is the number of cases that we lose. In Africa, if we do nothing, we will nearly double the cases and mortality from cancer by 2040.
“I consider cancer to be a significant failure of strategic approach. For instance, the cervix actually gives us hope. It is accessible and we can give a vaccine to prevent people from developing the premalignant lesions, which take about 15 to 20 years. It takes a long time to actually prepare and attack the premalignant stage.
“Diagnosis and management of cancers are fraught with multiple challenges, especially in Nigeria, but these challenges are not insurmountable. Several opportunities for intervention are now available in different parts of the world and we can network, collaborate and put in more effort to improve access and quality of healthcare services for Nigerians.”
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, in his address delivered by Dr Akindele Adekunle, decried the dwindling number of experts to combat cancer in Nigeria and assured that his government would continue to partner with life-saving institutions and bodies to breathe life for dying Nigerians.
Earlier, the National Director of ARGO, Professor Olusegun Alatise, had said the overall pursuit of the research group is to improve cancer care in Africa through research and training, with the overall goal of bridging the gap between the quality of cancer care in Africa and that of developed nations.
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