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Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, on Thursday decried the alarming cancer burden in the country, stating that cancers account for 127,000 cases annually, with about 80,000 deaths each year.

The minister disclosed this while commissioning a cancer centre at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina.

According to him, non-communicable diseases like cancer are among the fastest-growing components of Nigeria’s disease burden, and as a result, the country is expected to see a rise in cancer cases.

He expressed confidence that future generations of Nigerians will come to appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his efforts in the health sector.

“This is the best cancer centre in the world. It’s a promise kept by Mr president. It’s we Nigerians that can fix our own health sector, not any other country”, he stated.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, Dr Suleiman Bello, announced that the state-of-the-art Cancer Centre, was remodelled and equipped by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Oncology Initiative.

He explained that the process of establishment of the Centre started in 2019 when three young Medical Officers were recruited and sent for residency in Radio-Oncology.

He maintained that the Centre has a 20-bedded Chemotherapy Suite with private suites for VIPs and it equally has a Pharmacy compounding room for preparation of chemotherapeutic drugs for patients by Pharmacists.

Dr Bello believes that, with this centre, patients that now opt to travel abroad for cancer treatment do so out of choice not because they cannot be treated here in Nigeria.

“Today, to the glory of God, the Almighty, all the three are Consultants. Two more were later recruited and equally sent for residency. They are currently Senior Registrars in training. The Management of the Teaching Hospital had equally trained seven Therapy Radiographers at the MLCC. All the seven have been converted to Therapy Radiographers. Others trained include eight Medical Physicists trained at the University of Lagos in conjunction with the MLOCC.

“The Management had also trained Six Oncology Pharmacists. They were trained by the West African College of Pharmacists. The Pharmacists have received further training by BVGH, in conjunction with Medserve.

“The Hospital equally has 26 Oncology Nurses trained at the National Hospital Post-Basic Oncology Training School in Abuja. The construction of this Cancer Centre started in 2021 following a Federal Executive Council approval. The building was completed in 2023.

“With the signing of the tripartite project management MoU, NSIA/Medserve remodelled the centre for improved operational flow. NSIA/Medserve has equipped the Centre with a True Beam, an advanced linear accelerator with the capacity to target tumours with Speed and accuracy, delivering radiation from various angles while minimising damage to surrounding healthy tissues.

“The Brachytherapy Machine supplied is a Varian Bravos device. It will enable precise and effective treatment of cervical and prostate cancers in this soon to be commissioned centre.

Honourable Ministers sirs, NSIA/Medserve supplied a prostate applicator in addition to the traditional cervical applicator. NSIA/Medserve also supplied a 64 slice CT simulator. The Scanner allows for fast scan times and creation of detailed 3D images suitable for radiation therapy planning.

“The Centre has a 20)-bedded Chemotherapy Suite with private suites for VIPs. The Centre equally has a Pharmacy compounding room for preparation of chemotherapeutic drugs for patients by Pharmacists.

“This Hospital is and has been accessing subsidized cancer drugs from the National Cancer Access program (NCAP), thanks to NICRAT

Honourable Ministers Sirs, with this centre, patients that now opt to travel abroad for cancer treatment do so out of choice not because they cannot be treated in Nigeria. The equipment supplied is top notch and the same as those obtained in the best cancer treatment centres globally.

“The Management of the Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina extends its appreciation to His excellency, the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing the funds needed to actualise this project, the Honourable Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Mohammed Ali Pate CON, for providing genuine leadership, and the NSIA/Medserve for its professionalism in executing the project”, he noted.

On his part, the Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Hon Abdullahi Faskari stated that the centre is designed to provide comprehensive cancer care from early diagnosis and advanced treatment to cotton age research.

With the establishment of the center, he said, the Federal Government is taking a bold step towards reducing the burden of cancer and improving survival outcomes.

He therefore applauded the effort of the Federal Government on the ongoing healthcare sector reforms under the Nigerian Healthcare Renewal Investment Initiative, a component of President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.

He revealed that the State Government has prioritized healthcare in its building your future blueprint and the health component he said, has been aligned with the national reforms initiative.

According to Faskari, giant strides have been recorded in the health sector mostly in the areas of human resources for health, infrastructure and equipment at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of care in the State.

“Globally, cancer is the leading cause of mortalities with approximately 10 million deaths annually. In Africa, the burden of cancer is rising, its limited access to diagnosis and treatment contributes to a poor survival rate. In Nigeria, cancer is the growing health concern with an estimated 125,000 new cancer cases recorded annually. Over 70 percent of patients at late stages where treatments are limited and outcomes are poor, underscoring the urgent need for specialized healthcare facilities like the radiotherapy and oncology center commissioning today”, Faskari added.

In their separate goodwill messages, the coordinating Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris and the coordinating Minister of Economy and Finance, Chief Wale Edun, noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has prioritized healthcare by promptly releasing funds to the Ministry of Health.

And for the coordinating Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, the cost of traveling from Katsina to Lagos with a plight ticket and hotel accommodation for example, to treat cancer, is actually more expensive than the cost of treatment itself.