Businesswoman holding jigsaw puzzle pieces with “Cancer screening” text
The Federal Government has launched a Nationwide cancer awareness and screening programme. This was made known by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, on Saturday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, while flagging off the exercise in the state.
Salako, while apeaking at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, said 1,000 Nigerians would benefit from the screening exercise in each geopolitical zone, bringing the total to 6,000 beneficiaries Nationwide.
The Minister added that the programme confirms the federal Government’s belief that prevention is the most effective and cost-efficient approach to cancer control.
Salako said the initiative would cover primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention, focusing on early detection and timely treatment, noting that the screening would also target individuals who have not previously been diagnosed with cancer.
He raised concerns that Nigeria’s breast cancer mortality rate stands at 28 per cent, far exceeding the global average.
“Cancer remains a significant public health challenge in Africa, with Nigeria bearing the highest burden in terms of incidence and mortality.
“The goal is to screen 1,000 people per zone, focusing on prostate, cervical and breast cancers, with early detection and treatment,” he explained said.
According to the minister, cancer kills more people than tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS combined.
“Deaths are higher in our environment than in the Western world due to late diagnosis and delayed treatment,” he said.
Salako promised to facilitate the establishment of a cancer centre in a tertiary institution before the end of President Bola Tinubu’s first tenure.
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