Lagos Mulls Free Cancer Screening For Residents

Lagos State government  is considering on a bill for ensure residents have free access to cancer screening and vaccines.

Available statistics In Nigeria showed that cancer leads to over 72,000 deaths per annum (30,924 for males and 40, 647 for females) and this number is set to increase given that there are 102,000 new cases of cancer every year.

As a way out of the woods, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Amuwo Odofin Constituency 1, Hon. Mojisolaoluwa Alli-Macaulay, in an exclusive chat with LEADERSHIP, at the 2023 World Cancer Day awareness walk, organised by LASUTH Oncology Department, in Lagos, said the best way to tackle the scourge is early detection.

Alli-Macaulay, who is also the chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs Poverty Alleviation and Job Creation, revealed that the committee had concluded plans to draft a bill that would allow all residents to have access to cancer screening and vaccines.

In the same vein, the chief medical director, LASUTH, Adetokunbo Fabamwo, averred that there is a huge burden of cancer worldwide and particularly in the developing world countries, and it is largely due to late detection of cases, inadequate facilities to offer all the parameters of care and few oncologist surgeons that are specialised in operating on cancers.

Speaking on what LASUTH is doing to bridge the cancer care gap, Fabamwo said the hospital offers surgical, chemotherapy, rehabilitation and terminal care, even as he disclosed that the health facility has one of the best doctors who are specialized in looking after cancer patients.

Fabamwo however applauded the Lagos state governor, for putting in place programmes and outreach campaigns that have been carried out, as efforts to detect cancer early especially at the grassroots level. “That is a huge step that our governor has taken and there is a need to ensure continuity,” he added, while urging the state government to put in place a system that will encourage cancer screening.