The Helpline Foundation has urged the government at all levels in Nigeria to make the treatment of cancer affordable and accessible.
Speaking against the backdrop of the 2022 World Cancer Day, the non-governmental organisation (NGO) explained that cancer remains a major cause of death globally as testing and treatment facilities continue to remain inaccessible to many patients.
World Cancer Day is marked every 04 February to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.
Nigeria, in 2018, recorded 124,815 new cases of cancer and 78,899 deaths from the disease, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Breast (38.7 percent) and prostate cancer among females and males continue to account for the larger share of new cases in the country.
Speaking on this year’s World Cancer Day theme, ‘Close the Care Gap’, the NGO’s Communication Assistant, Cecilia Kadiri, said that the cancer community had recorded some notable achievements globally.
According to her, the foundation will continue to raise the awareness needed to close the gap in the provision of treatment for cancer patients in Nigeria.
‘We need more awareness from governments at all levels, CSOs and individuals. Government should make facilities available for regular and compulsory cancer testing yearly and treatment should be affordable’, the News Agency of Nigeria quoted her as saying.
‘Natural remedies should be promoted and encouraged, too, especially those plants certified by scientists.
‘We know that every single one of us has the ability to make a difference, large or small, and that together we can make real progress in reducing the global impact of cancer.
‘Close the Care Gap is about identifying and addressing the barriers that exist for many people around the world in accessing the care they need’.
The foundation, according to its mission, seeks to build a society where all vulnerable children have access to quality health care, education and equal opportunities to realise their potential.
Photo source: USAID in Africa