The health authorities have to create the enabling environment to fight the scourge
Cancer is estimated to be the most important cause of morbidity and mortality in the next few decades across all regions of the world. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) estimates that by 2030, over 21 million people will be diagnosed with cancer and 13 million will die from the disease every year. By 2030 also, it is expected that 60 per cent of the new cancer cases and 70 per cent of cancer- related deaths will occur in developing countries, particularly in Africa. Unfortunately, it does not seem as if Nigerians are paying attention even when many of our prominent citizens have succumbed to the disease in recent times.
Statistics of deaths from cancer are so chilling that most medical experts are now agreed that the disease has become an important health care concern for the country. It is bad enough that cancer is a terminal disease, it is worse that most Nigerian hospitals and medical centres lack the diagnostic capacity to quickly detect and treat cancer infections. This has greatly compounded the problem, forcing several Nigerians to travel to countries like India, the Emirates, United Kingdom, etc., in search of treatment for the disease. The economic consequence of this is that it has led to so much capital flight.
Further complicating the situation is the very low awareness of the scourge among Nigerians but more among women, especially rural women. The Federal Ministry of Health and the National Orientation Agency are yet to create the level of awareness that would bring sufferers to the danger of the cancer scourge. Instructively, the most common types of cancer in Nigeria are carcinoma of the uterine cervix and breast for women and liver and prostate cancers for men over 40 years. But what is responsible for the growth of cancer scourge in Nigeria?
Although medical experts differ somewhat as to the exact causes of the disease, there seem to be some agreement that the major cause is the habit of the people which is not helped by government policy or lack of one. For instance, while most countries are making stringent laws against tobacco use, our government seems to be encouraging it. Yet the burden of cancer in Nigeria is enormous. According to the WHO, it is feared that by 2020, cancer incidence for Nigerian males and females may rise to 90.7/100,000 and 100.9/100,000, respectively. It is also estimated that by 2020, death rates from cancer for Nigerian males and females may reach 72.7/100,000 and 76/100,000 respectively.
It is very costly and time-consuming to build human resource capacity in cancer control. For instance, it takes at least four years to train an oncologist after medical school, depending on the country of training. Without a strategic planning of the workforce, the whole cancer control infrastructure could be ineffective. Therefore, before embarking on the construction of a cancer control facility, it is important to ascertain the availability of clinical oncologists, screening workers, oncology nurses, pathologists, radiation therapy technicians, palliative care practitioners, etc.
All said, we believe that the task of saving its citizens from the cancer scourge remains essentially with government which has to provide both the basic facilities to combat the disease and to create the enabling environment that can facilitate the collaboration of the private sector in tackling the menace. Increased awareness campaigns, improvements in public health and increased funding for health care initiatives – by government, donor agencies, and development partners – are all likely to lead to a decrease in the incidence of this killer disease. Nigerians themselves must also begin to imbibe the culture of regular medical check-ups so they can commence treatment of any diagnosed ailment promptly. Regular exercise, losing weight and imbibing the culture of health maintenance could reduce the risk by 50 per cent.
