The cancer narrative of Nigeria and the way forward

A recent report from population-based cancer registries, obtained from a cancer statistics in Nigeria, shows that out of the over two hundred million Nigerians, 124,815 people were diagnosed of cancer in 2020; and out of that number, 78,899 of the patients died.

When the word ‘cancer’ is mentioned, it demoralises or causes fear in many people. My father was diagnosed with stage-four colon cancer in 2017, and we lost him that same year. He treated everything, but colon cancer.

Unfortunately, the prevalent cancer case among women is breast cancer. In 2020, statistics shows that the most frequent cancer in both sexes, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, is breast cancer. World Health Organisation (WHO) experts, on the eve of World Cancer Day 2021, noted that the global cancer landscape is changing. In the past two decades, the overall number of people diagnosed with cancer has nearly doubled, from an estimated 10 million in the 2000’s to 19.3 million in 2020.

According to a statistics released by the International Agency for Research Cancer (IARC), breast cancer has now overtaken lung cancer as the world’s most commonly diagnosed cancer. WHO launched the Global Breast Cancer Initiative (GBCI) on the 8th of March, 2021 with the objective of reducing global breast cancer mortality by 2.5 per cent per year, until 2040.

The GBCI by WHO is anchored on three main pillars: health promotion, timely diagnosis and comprehensive treatment, and supportive care. These three pillars would be vital in eliminating cancer menace in the world. Through the health promotion, they would be open to the idea of the diagnosis, which is positive, as the case may be, and it would be a great step in tackling cancer.

The way out is not to avoid cancer testing/screening or to pretend it does not exist. The way out is taking responsibility for your health, by getting necessary knowledge of the sickness and knowing the lifestyles/habits that are invitation to it. Timely cancer diagnosis reduces delay between the time a patient first interactions with the health system and when he or she initiates treatment. Comprehensive and supportive care, through advanced packages, such as the one the GBCI intends to distribute to countries, jointly published by WHO and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IACA), and through palliative care and the healing power of God, I believe cancer patients could live their best lives.

To achieve this feat in Nigeria, both government and individual engagements are required. I am taking it upon myself to do my best, in order to integrate the new cancer initiatives into the ongoing Cancer Initiative and to see that these approaches that are peculiar to our country’s situation are employed. Below are some approaches I intend using.

One of the approaches is to create pamphlets with information on the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, prevention strategies, risk reduction strategies (avoiding obesity, reducing alcohol intake and encouraging breast feeding). These pamphlets would be printed and distributed to the public.

The second approach would be to initiate a nation-wide campaign, to mark the breast cancer awareness month 2021, which spans from 1st to 31st of October 2021.

The third approach would be to host symposiums and public lectures, once each week, for the four weeks of the month of October, in different stations across the world where elites, medical practitioners and organisations, with skills and knowledge of dealing with cancer, would educate the public.

The fourth and last approach is that these campaigns would employ the use of the social media, publicity and advertisement, literature, hashtags and pledges in teaching people and in spreading the word. I would also create a thirty-second voice advert on breast cancer to be aired on radio stations across Nigeria, so that those who cannot watch it on television can hear about it on radio.

Members of the public, who can render us the following services or properties, are invited to come support and contribute their own quota to the success of this project.

The public could help by donating data and social media platforms to share the theme of the campaign, which is: ‘Take charge, end cancer’ on the social media with its agenda listed above.

Owners of printing press or people with access to printing press could volunteer to print the pamphlets. Also, volunteers across Nigeria who would be willing to share the printed pamphlets and who would also be willing to provide plain Tee shirts for the campaign theme to be printed on are welcomed. Branding organisations who could design the campaign shirts, voice-over-artists who could make a thirty-second audio/video adverts, on-air-personalities and radio stations across Nigeria that could air the thirty-second adverts are really needed.

Medical practitioners and organisations who would be willing to enlighten the masses at the symposiums and lectures, hall and hotel owners willing to donate halls for the lectures; NGOs, hospitals or cancer initiatives who would  avail equipment or centres for booths across Nigeria are also needed. Palliative care centres, cancer centres, hospitals, international bodies and persons in prominent authorities across Nigeria who could volunteer to sponsor first-aid care, whole treatment or refer people who test positive to cancer to facilities where they could receive care are really needed too. Cancer survivors who would be willing to share their success stories of victory and triumph are also welcome.

Financial support and aid for the sponsorship and execution of this nation-wide campaign, and the literary services like poems and pledges that content creators would create for the 2021 ‘Take charge, end cancer’ campaign would be greatly encouraged.

Finally, let us build a future where people are no longer dying for lack of healthcare information and services. I cannot do it alone, you cannot do it alone. But, together we can.

Mwuese Esther Agine, a third-year University of Jos law student and the 2021 Miss WAZOBIA Nigeria, can be reached via: estheragine2000@gmail.com

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