Nigerian Cancer Society Seeks Improved Funding For Cancer

The Nigerian Cancer Society has called on all states and local governments to develop appropriate framework for cancer prevention and control in their various states and local governments.

The President of the Nigerian Cancer Society, Prof. Abidemi Omonisi, who made the call in Abuja, while addressing newsmen in commemoration of the 2025 World Cancer Day also called on the Federal Government to appropriate additional funds to close the funding gap in the National Oncology Initiative.

Professor Omonisi expressed worry that Nigeria was already undergoing a catastrophic of Human Resource for Health (HRH) crises due to the current rate of migration of health workers overseas.

”We called on the federal government of Nigeria to upgrade this amount to a minimum of $2 billion, however, we also noted that in the first time in the history of this country, that the line budget was created for children with cancer.”

”That is a plus for the federal government, although only$15 million was budgeted for that but, we thank the federal government for creating a budget line for children with cancer. It is important to state very clearly that a patient with two positive early birth cancers will require an average of $17 million for treatment for a year.”

According to him, ”This excludes other treatments like laboratory services, surgery and supportive care, This reality is why our cancer society is calling for an upward review, because the amount budgeted for the 2025 window budget will only cater for 22 patients.

Professor Omonisi urged the federal and state governments to also appropriate additional funds to close the $97 billion funding gap that is currently noticed in the National Oncology Initiative.

Also speaking, the senior communication officer, Pathfinder Nigeria ,Bayo Ewuola stressed the need for the media to educate Nigerians on the uptake of HPV vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer in the country.

On her part, the Bureau Manager, Get Effect Nigeria, Chini Okonkwo, said the organization had been supporting the state government through a targeted approach to ensure a healthy reproductive health.

Get Effect is an international non-governmental organization that uses media and technology
to reach adolescent girls and young women, no matter where they are.

‘‘We have support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and with that, we are implementing the Accelerate Access to Health Services for adolescent girls and young women in Nigeria, while we are also tackling gender norms.

”And this project aims to increase demand and acceptance of the Human papillomavirus
vaccination among adolescent girls and young women,’ and we are doing this in Ondo, Ekiti,
Oyo, Delta, and Kaduna states.