By Ojoma Akor
Stakeholders in the health sector have said that insecurity and conflicts are worsening the existing cancer care gaps in Nigeria.
They stated this during the World Cancer Day symposium organized by Project Pink Blue in Abuja. The symposium was themed “Cancer, Conflict & Insecurity in Nigeria: What can we do to ensure access to cancer care for vulnerable communities amid conflict and insecurity?”
The stakeholders also called for increased efforts towards addressing the challenges posed by insecurity in the country.
The President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Bala Audu, said Nigeria is facing a rising cancer burden and widespread insecurity, which is worsening cancer outcomes in the country.
He said, ” Insecurity has made access to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment almost impossible in many rural and conflict-prone areas.”
He explained that patients in areas hit by insurgency in the North-east banditry in the North-west, and some parts of the South-east affected by prolonged sit-at-home, face enormous barriers.
He said, “Hospitals have closed, supply chains for chemotherapy drugs are inconsistent, and specialist oncology centres remain far out of reach for those who need them most.
“For many patients, even getting to an appointment has become a dangerous gamble. Roadblocks, unsafe highways, kidnappings, and transport costs now prevent countless Nigerians from keeping treatment schedules. Missed sessions, doctors say, can significantly reduce survival chances. Many vulnerable individuals face delays or complete interruptions in care because it is unsafe to travel or because of facilities.”
While saying that cancer prevention and screening are largely absent from humanitarian responses, especially in internally displaced persons’ camps, he called for the integration of cancer care into security and humanitarian response planning.
Former Abia North senator and sponsor of the National Institute for Cancer Research and treatment, NICRAT bill, Mao Ohuabunwa, called on the federal government to declare cancer a national emergency.
He said, “Definitely, it should be a national emergency, especially in vulnerable areas where conflicts prevent patients from seeking treatment, screening, and related services.
“We are having difficulties here. Imagine those who are in those vulnerable areas. How do they go? How do they move? It’s not possible”.
Wife of the Imo State Governor and Chairperson of the First Ladies Against Cancer (FLAC), Mrs. Chioma Uzodimma, said insecurity in the country has caused health facilities to shut down, and medical personnel to flee as a result of attacks, killing, and kidnapping.
She said FLAC leverages political, institutional, and social networks to raise awareness, facilitate access to screening and treatment, and advocate for equitable policies.
She said, “Under my leadership, since 2025, we have expanded collaborations to good governments, private sector organisations, and international development partners to boost cancer treatment, research, and advocacy.
“Our initiatives span grassroots education, free cancer screening, patient support programs, and high-level policy advocacy across states, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, NICRAT, state ministries of health, the World Health Organisation (WHO), civil society organisations, and other key stakeholders.”
Uzodimma called for mobile clinics and the establishment of safe corridors for health workers; expansion of insurance coverage and funding for cancer care; and, in the long term, strengthening oncology infrastructure, research, and local drug manufacturing.
The Director-General of NICRAT, Usman Aliyu, who was represented by the Director of Clinical Services, Musa Ali-Gombe, said the national Cancer Health Fund currently supports free care for breast, cervical, and prostate cancers in selected centres, with plans to expand coverage as capacity improves.
He said the major challenges facing cancer control efforts in Nigeria include weak coordination, limited decentralisation, and funding gaps.
The NICRAT DG said cancer services remain concentrated in major urban centres, leaving rural and conflict-affected populations without access to screening and early diagnosis.
Moji Makanjuola, Executive Director of the International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH), said, “Cancer is very real. Treating cancer impoverishes everyone. It’s not just about the money, your soul, your emotional balance. Cancer should be a deliberate thing that all of us speak about every day.
“Preach prevention, screening. Let it go around. Adopt a community. Adopt somebody. Adopt children. They should know about cancer. When we know about it, we can deal with it.”
A cancer survivor, Mercy Soporuchi, said many cancer patients and survivors are reeling under the burden of financial costs for cancer care.
She called on the government to include certain treatment plans in the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), particularly for fertility preservation.
“Many of us are young and still okay to give birth. Many of us don’t have the funding for fertility preservation. And it is not covered by the NHIA and the Cancer Health Fund (CHF),” she added.
