The House of Representatives has called on the federal government to provide free cancer screening across the country.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion moved by the member representing Ido/Ibarapa Federal Constituency of Oyo State, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, at plenary on Wednesday.
Moving the motion, the lawmaker noted that cancer is a major public health challenge in the country, with many patients unable to afford treatment due to the high cost.
Oseni further noted that the scourge of cancer was fast spreading amongst Nigerians with reports which showed that in 2020, about 125,000 people were diagnosed with cancer, the most common type of cancer is breast, prostate and cervical cancer.
He expressed worry that; “the costs of Cancer treatment varies from tens of millions of naira (or thousands of dollars) to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, depending on the type of cancer, stage of the disease, treatment methods, location, and individual health history.
“Patients with cancer in Nigeria are facing financial difficulties due to the complex and expensive supply chain for cancer drugs and limited availability of radiation therapy machines leaving some with a view that cancer is an illness for the wealthy or a death sentence, but that is no longer the case, as both the poor and the rich in most cases are caught by the menace.
“The rising burden of cancer is causing a shortage of funding for cancer control services, with public financing being considered the most appropriate, sustainable and equitable solution to fund that aspect of health care to ameliorate the suffering of patients with cancer.”
The lawmaker emphasised the urgent need for government intervention to subsidise cancer treatment and drugs for indigent patients in Nigeria.
