Why NHIS scheme should cover cancer, by NMA

 As the whole world dedicates February 4 each year to mark the World Cancer Day, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has raised alarm over the high rate of mortality arising from the pandemic in Nigeria, saying that 70,327 died of the disease in 2018 alone.

This is even as the association also called on the federal government to include cancer diagnostics and treatment as part of ailments covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

During a press briefing on Monday as part of activities to mark the World Cancer Day, Dr Francis Faduyile, national president of the association, attributed the deaths to low awareness about the disease.

He said that out of the nine million deaths across the world in 2018, Nigeria recorded over 70,000 to that number while it also recorded 115,950 new cases within the period under review.

He said, “Today is World Cancer Day, a day dedicated to raise awareness on cancer globally and galvanise efforts towards combating this scourge which is now the second leading cause of death in the world accounting for 9.6 million deaths in 2018.

“The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that there were 18.1 million new cases in 2018 which was a significant increase of about four million cases compared to last estimate of 14.1 million new cases in 2012.

“Africa is estimated to have about 5.8% of the new cases but a disproportionately higher 7.3% of cancer death globally.
“Nigeria has an estimated 115,950 new cases of cancer and an estimated 70, 327 cancer deaths in 2018. The cancer death rate in our country is still one of the worst in Africa and this requires urgent attention.

“This is attributable to low awareness and poor attitude to cancer prevention, poor facilities for cancer screening and early detection, inadequate treatment facilities and higher incidence of cancer types,” he said.

Faduyile who was represented by the president of the association, FCT Chapter, Dr Ekpe Phillips, however, commended the efforts of the federal government in implementing the National Cancer Control Plan 2018 – 2022.The association also hailed the government for renovating cancer treatment facilities in tertiary institutions across the country.

It, however, called for the scale up the implementation of cancer control plan as well as renovation and building of cancer facilities across the country, like the abandoned International Cancer Centre started by Turai Yar Adua long the Airport Road in Abuja.

“There is need to urgently raise awareness on cancer prevention, enforce necessary legislations with implications on cancer prevention such as those on tobacco.
“Cancer screening and early detection services need urgent intervention. This is very important to reduce the proportion of patients that present with advance disease associated with poor outcome.

“We implore the government to ensure timely completion of ongoing projects on cancer treatment to increase access to treatment and ensure a progressive reduction in the incidence of cancer and cancer related deaths in Nigeria.

“Once again, we advocate for the inclusion of cancer control and treatment in services covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and necessary measures taken to enhance the coverage of the scheme to more Nigerians,” he said.
The NMA therefore empathised with those suffering from the disease, while calling on its members to always put in their best in taking care of such patient.We have plans – Government

In the meantime, the minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, says the government has concluded plans to roll-out nationwide screening for most common types of cancers.

The minister, in a statement issued by Mrs Boade Akinola, director Media and Public Relations of the ministry on Sunday in Abuja, also said individuals have roles to play to check the ailment. Adewole spoke at a ceremony titled: ‘We can; I can’ organised to mark the 2018 World Cancer Day in Abuja.
 

According to the minister, the screening will be on the most common types of cancers, such as breast and cervical cancer in women and prostate cancer in men.
He stated that this year’s theme was geared towards exploring individuals and collective drive towards reducing the global burden of the disease.
Adewole said that individuals could play their role in fighting cancer through healthy lifestyle choices by engaging in weekly physical activities for, at least, two and half hours for adult and an hour for children.

He said other lifestyle modifications include the avoidance of tobacco smoking and eating a healthy diet, limiting alcohol intake and staying safe under the sun.
Adewole thereafter emphasised that high index of suspicion for early symptoms and signs of cancer were important because diagnosing the disease early makes it easier to treat and cure.

The minister then appealed to communities to dispel myths and misconceptions that led to stigma and discrimination against people living with the disease.
Adewole said that the recent commissioning of a new radiotherapy machine at the National Hospital Abuja, would provide easy access to radiation treatment for Nigerians.

He added that additional new machine was donated by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) and would be in operational at the hospital in the next few months.
He added further that the facility at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) would be offering full and uninterrupted services from June 2018.
“In spite of the numerous interventions by the government and other partners, some factors are militating against efforts to effectively combat the scourge of cancer in Nigeria.


“The key barriers to treatment of cancer in Nigeria, are: poor awareness, poor health seeking behaviour, low level of non-governmental investments, low number of skilled health care personnel, funding gaps, amongst others,” Adewole said.


According to him, government was committed to the development of the Public Private Partnership strategies to address the funding gaps and manpower shortages to surmount these barriers.


Many private organisations like Project Pink Blue have also been in the forefront of drawing serious awareness to the menace of cancer. According to Runcie Chidebe, the executive director of the project, “ I got attracted to drawing support for cancer victims because of how I witnessed a patient die years back; it’s not the kind of pains you can wish even your enemy. In all our outings both within and outside the country, we try to draw serious awareness to the fact that early detection of cancer is the best form of treatment,” he said.NAN 

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