Federal government and other stakeholders have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to address what they referred to as acute cancer burden in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The MoU was signed by the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Clinton Health Access Initiative, Medicaid Cancer Foundation and City Cancer Challenge Foundation (C/Can).
The C/Can chief executive officer, Isabel Mestres, in a statement yesterday, said cancer is responsible for 79,000 deaths and approximately 124,000 new cases in Nigeria each year, accounting for the second highest cancer burden in Africa.
She also said that the multi-stakeholder commitment by national and sub-national governments, international health organisations and civil society represented a key milestone in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts against cancer.
Mestres said that to ensure the success of the C/Can initiative, Abuja had over the last two years conducted assessments to inform the development of a strategy to implement the project.
The chief executive officer further said that through C/Can, there was an unparalleled opportunity to ensure that progress made in cancer care at a city level would benefit people in the FCT and entire Nigeria.
The permanent secretary, Ministry of Health, Mr Funso Adebiyi, said that the collective effort strengthened the ministry’s commitment to foster a healthier Nigeria by urgently reducing the country’s cancer incidence and mortality.
The CEO, Medicaid Cancer Foundation, Dr Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, said though a lot could be achieved individually, there was more strength in collective efforts.
“Alone, we can do a lot. However, as partners we can strengthen Abuja’s cancer ecosystem. I am certain that this partnership with C/Can will achieve the much-needed transformation,” she said.
