As part of its efforts to equip healthcare workers at primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities,the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) has trained no fewer than 46 health workers on the early detection of hepatitis and chronic liver cancer in patients.
The two days capacity building was aimed at contemporary and cutting-edge knowledge for them to perform optimally by delivering quality diagnosis and care to those in need.
Director General of the agency, Professor Usman Malami Aliyu, while declaring the workshop open said NICRAT is a federal government agency under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare that has the mandates of exercising national leadership in Cancer research, treatment, prevention and control in Nigeria.
Represented by a Consultant of the agency, Dr Nandi Ishaya Tokkit, the DG said, since its inception in early 2023, NICRAT has initiated various strategies aimed at reducing the burden of all forms of cancers in Nigeria.
“One of such strategies is organising training and retraining for healthcare workers on various aspects of cancer care, prevention, treatment and control, with the most recent being training of biomedical engineers and medical physicists across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
“The theme of this training, “Early detection and management of chronic hepatitis and liver cancer,” is very apt and timely, considering the high incidences of hepatitis and liver cancers across our healthcare facilities in Nigeria.”
Sokoto state team lead for the capacity building, Dr Aliyu Samaila Musawa, said the training is meant for primary and secondary health care workers.
He said the programme which was in collaboration with Sokoto State ministry of health comprises of 23 medical officers and primary health care workers from the twenty three local governments area of the state.
“We intend to train forty six health workers across the 23 local governments area in the state, aimed at detecting early liver cancer so as to reduce the mortality associated with it.”
