NMA urges Fed Govt to raise awareness on cancer

THE Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has called on the Federal Government to raise awareness on cancer prevention, as Nigeria joins the rest of the globe to celebrate World Cancer Day,.

Besides, NMA urged the government to include cancer control and treatment in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) programme.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world, accounting for 9.6 million deaths in 2018.

Nigeria has an estimated 115,950 new cases of cancer and an estimated 70,327 cancer death in 2018.

Briefing reporters in Abuja yesterday, the Chairman, NMA FCT Chapter, Dr. Philip Ekpe, said the high rate of death attributed to cancer was alarming and called for urgent attention.

He said cancer is now “the second  leading cause of the death in the world,  accounting for 9.6 million deaths in 2018.”

“The World Health Organisation estimated that there were  18.1million new case in 2018, which was a significant increase  of about 4 million case compared to last estimate of 14.1 million new cases in 2012. It is estimated  that one in every five men and one in every six women  develop cancer globally. This is a very worrying trend and we must all rise up to curb this menace.

“Africa is estimated to have about 5.8 per cent of the new cases, but a disproportionately higher 7.3 per cent of cancer prevention, poor attitude for cancer screening and early detection, inadequate  treatment facilities and higher incidence of cancer types with poor outcome. Nigeria has an estimated 115,950 new cases of cancer and an estimated 70,327 cancer death in 2018.”

He lamented that “cancer death in our country  is still  one of the worst in Africa and this requires urged attention”