By Ojoma Akor
The Project Pink Blue – Health & Psychological Trust Centre, a leading cancer nonprofit in Nigeria, has called on state and local governments to establish cancer health funds in their respective states to expand access to cancer treatment.
Programme Associate of Project Pink Blue, Faridah Banwo, made the call on Saturday during the World Cancer Day walk organized by Project Pink Blue in Abuja.
She highlighted that cancer treatment was very expensive and out of the reach of many Nigerians.
She also called on the federal government to increase the allocation to the Cancer Health Fund (CHF), noting that this would help reduce the number of patients who stop treatment halfway due to financial constraints.
While saying that the organisation is very committed to creating awareness about cancer, she said it has implemented various support for cancer patients, such as providing psychological support for patients and their caregivers, even for survivors.
She said, “Because one thing we’ve come to understand is the fact that this is not a journey that a cancer patient goes through alone. They need the support from their family members, their friends, and it’s one thing to want to take treatment. It’s one thing to have money to take the treatment, but it’s another thing to be in the right frame of mind even to take the treatment.
“Another thing that we’re trying to pioneer is awareness and patient navigation, knowing the right hospitals to go to, knowing the right person to talk to, knowing the right facilities to go to, and aiming for. It allows you to, at least, not go to the wrong hospitals where you get misdiagnosed, or you get diagnosed very late, which is one thing that really impacts cancer, that is, late detection, which is the cause of the high number of deaths that we’re having with cancer.”
She said the organization has an app that helps cancer patients, family members, survivors, and medical practitioners navigate the cancer journey.
“And we encourage everyone to come together, also to download this app and make use of it, at least it provides information,” she added.
She further said that Nigeria does not have good statistics on mortality and cases of cancer, particularly when compared to other countries.
” Other countries have higher rates of diagnosis, but lower mortality. We hope to reach a point where the diagnostic rate may be higher while the mortality rate declines. It means treatment is working, and all the interventions we’re trying to put in place are going okay,” she added.
According to Runcie C.W. Chidebe, Executive Director of Project Pink Blue, in 2022, Nigeria recorded an estimated 127,763 new cancer cases and approximately 79,542 deaths, thereby contributing significantly to the global cancer burden.
He said these numbers are expected to increase due to deteriorating healthcare infrastructure, limited access to medications, lack of psychological support, and widespread poverty.
He added that prevention through awareness and screening is the most effective strategy to combat cancer and save lives in Nigeria.
Fortune Oslem, a Colon cancer survivor, decried the stigma against people living with cancer. He called on the government at all levels to help subsidize the cost of cancer drugs.
He also urged cancer patients to go for regular medical checkups, adding that the disease is not a death sentence.
Martin Zarybnicky, General Manager of Transcorp Hilton Abuja, said the organisation is committed to supporting charity events, including the cancer walk. He said the event marked the 10th anniversary of its collaboration with Project Pink Blue.
