A report on Lancet Oncology that was published by the Association of Radiation and Clinical Oncologists of Nigeria (ARCON) yesterday has showed that Nigeria recorded economic loss worth $5.63billion to cancer disease in 2019.
The report also said that by 2050, almost 50 per cent of the global cancer burden in children younger than 15 years will be in Africa.
Analysing the report, the director, global health catalyst, Prof. Wil Ngwa, said the challenge of cancer now faced by SSA is enormous and is likely to worsen rapidly if adequate measures are not taken, including through international collaboration.
He said cancer in Nigeria and other parts of Africa is characterised by late stage at presentation, delayed diagnosis, limited access to treatment, and poor outcomes relative to other geographic regions.
“Some estimates show late disease presentation varies from 30 percent in South Africa to 98 percent in Nigeria,” he said.
Also at the event, the editor-in-chief of Lancet Oncology Commission, Prof David Collingridge, said “Just in 2019, Nigeria lost $5.93 billion through deaths to cancer. That has a huge impact on society. That loss of human life is a tragedy and we need to put the processes in place now to make sure that Nigeria maintains its place as a prosperous nation.”
He stressed the fact that universal health care, access to cancer registries and prevention are absolutely essential in Nigeria’s battle against cancer.
