72,000 Nigerians Die Every Year Because Of Cancer – Yemi Osinbajo

The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has come out to say that the nation contributes 15 per cent death from cancer disease in West Africa.

According to him, this prompted FG to launch the National Cancer Control Plan 2018 – 2022 where states are meant to follow suit in order to address the numbers.

He revealed this as he layed the foundation of the first state-owned Cancer Centre at the Muhammadu Buhari Specialist Hospital in Kano State.

He added that the right medical facilities can end 90 per cent of cancer treatment cases in the country.

His words, “In 2018, four per cent of deaths in Nigeria are caused by cancer alone. Over 72,000 Nigerians die annually of cancer. So Nigeria contributes about 15 per cent of cancer deaths in West Africa. So there is a major problem with cancer in Nigeria.

“And that is why the Federal Government decided on the National Cancer Control Plan 2018 – 2022. Part of the plan is the involvement of states so that each state would have its own cancer control facility and plan and key into the Federal Government’s own plan.

“I must say that again, we have a situation where Kano State has led the way in plugging into the plan of the federal government. I must commend the foresight of the Governor,”

“Let me inform you the genesis, intention why we conceive this very important project. First of all, we had research among the population in Kano State to find out the types of cancer diseases that are prevalent. And among men, we discovered that it is prostate cancer while for the women, it is the breast and cervical cancer and so many other cancer-related cases that are prevalent in Kano State. And so, in order to solve the problem, we conceived this and came up with a design and equipment.

“And according to our investigation, the equipment to be used in the facilities can solve 90 per cent of cancer treatment cases that are existing in Kano. And that is the genesis of this cancer treatment centre

“Now, the issue is that what are we aiming that by creating this centre. First, we want to increase health coverage. Secondly, we want to synchronise the need of the rich and the poor by establishing a first-class healthcare centre which the rich would be convinced that they should come to Kano for cancer treatment and the poor because cancer does not marginalise the rich or the poor. We are going to have a basket fund to take care of the less privileged in the state.”