Over 90 percent of Nigerians with cancer miss timely diagnosis and treatment — ARCON President

THE National President of the Association of Radiation & Clinical Oncologists in Nigeria (ARCON), Dr Nwamaka Lasebikan, has declared cancer the most significant health challenge, although only 40% of cancer patients have appropriate treatment and less than 10% actually receive their diagnosis and treatments in a timely manner in Nigeria.

Dr Lasebikan, at a press conference to flag off the 7th annual general meeting and scientific conference of the Association of Radiation & Clinical Oncologists in Nigeria (ARCON) “in Ibadan, said there’s limited access to diagnostic services, to treatment using radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and this means that many Nigerians with cancer receive late diagnosis, often when the disease has reached an advanced stage.

Lasebikan, flanked by Dr Adebayo Oladeji, Dr Ololade Kehinde, Dr. Olatunji Agunbiade, Dr Foluke Sarimiye, Dr Temitope Olatunji-Agunbiade, the association’s vice president, secretary general, financial secretary, and welfare officer, respectively, said there is an urgency to tackle cancer because Nigeria has an estimated 124,815 new cases annually with a devastating mortality rate of over 78,000.

According to her, the burden of cancer has been projected to double by the year 2030, and cancer care costs the nation over $100 million annually in out-of-pocket expenses for patients, with many facing catastrophic health expenditures that drive families into poverty.

Lasibikan, noting breast and cervical cancers were the commonest types of cancers affecting women and prostate cancer and colorectal cancers being the commonest in men, stated that the solution to ensuring increased and affordable cancer care lies in the strategic involvement of the private sector using the Public-Private Initiative.

“This presents a unique opportunity to expand access to affordable and quality cancer care services across Nigeria. By harnessing these resources and the expertise that the private sector brings in addition to the innovation, we can significantly reduce the financial burden of the public sector and improve service delivery for our cancer patients.

“The PPP model has been successfully implemented in many African countries and indeed in some facilities here in Nigeria, case in point being the NSIA-LUTH partnership as well as the UNTH-Medilink partnership, which now allows these centres to provide continuous radiotherapy services to the teaming group of patients that come within their doors.

“As of today, we have only eight functional radiotherapy facilities across the country with a population of over 222 million, and this is grossly inadequate. The machines and the equipment are expensive and require heavy financial investment, which no public sector may be able to carry on their own, again buttressing the fact that there is a real role to increase partnership between the private and the public sector.

“The federal government must accelerate the development and implementation of policies that prioritise cancer research. These policies should emphasise universal health coverage, financial protection for cancer patients, and the integration of cancer services into the broader healthcare delivery system.”

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