See how NGO canvasses national policy on cancer management

Princess Nikky Breast Cancer Foundation, an NGO, on Thursday advised the Federal Government to convene a national council to produce policies on cancer diagnosis and treatment.

The Executive Director of the foundation, Ms Nikky Onyeri, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

According to her, cancer treatment is commonly becoming rampant in the country.

“The Federal Government should convene a Presidential Council on Cancer.

“Cancer is highly expensive, it is capital intensive, there is lack of medical personnel and we do not in a country of 170 million have a functional cancer centre for the treatment of patients.

“We need to establish more and standard cancer diagnosis centres in the country,” she said.

She said the cost of cancer treatment and management was burdensome on NGOs that sponsor cancer patients and on the individuals as well.

The executive director said that cancer treatment and management requires a national policy that would subsidise out of pocket expenses.

“It is disheartening that a country like Nigeria does not have a single functional cancer centre, and the few ones that are functional instead of treating 20 to 30 patients, it is treating over 50 patients.

“It means that the radioactive elements that are coming for the treatment of the cancer patients are not what it is supposed to be,’’ said Onyeri.

She added that the morbidity rate of cancer cases was very high, which was engendered by lack of proper cancer care.

However, Onyeri assured that there are some NGOs that are ready to partner with the government to ensure that cancer treatment and diagnosis was scaled up in the country.