Gom Mirian
The National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), has disclosed that Nigeria records over 120,000 new cancer cases each year.
Speaking during the 7th Annual Conference of the Association of Nigeria Health Journalists in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, (WHO) on Saturday, the Director General of NICRAT, Prof. Usman Malami Aliyu, called for collaborative efforts to combat this alarming trend through increased awareness, improved access to treatment and research.
Represented by Malam Hassan Zaggi, Aliyu explained that the institute has implemented strategies to enhance the expertise of healthcare professionals in cancer care through training and retraining programmes.
He said: “In 2020 alone, an estimated 78,000 individuals lost their lives to cancer-related complications, with 44,699 being females and 34,200 males.
“NICRAT has recently launched three strategic documents, including the National Strategic Cancer Control Plan, the National Cancer Research Agenda, and the National Strategic Plan for Prevention of Cancer of Uterine Cervix, to address governance, prevention, supply chain management, data and research, and surveillance.
“These initiatives align with the Ministry of Health’s goal of improving the health of all Nigerians.”
