The Federal Government has called for increased African-led research, stronger partnerships and sustainable financing to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hepatobiliary cancers.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, made the call at the fifth Africa Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Cancer Consortium (AHPBCC) Conference on Thursday in Abuja.
Salako, who was represented by Prof. Ali Gombe, Director of Clinical Services, National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), said African countries needed evidence that reflected their populations, disease patterns and health system realities to guide effective cancer interventions.
He called for greater investment in research covering epidemiology, risk factors, genetics, prevention, diagnosis and treatment, supported by cancer registries, clinical trials and collaborative research networks.
He also advocated the use of digital health, genomics and artificial intelligence where they could strengthen cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and surveillance.
“Research should translate into affordable, accessible, sustainable interventions for African populations,” Salako said, describing AHPBCC as a valuable platform for multidisciplinary collaboration.
He said Nigeria was strengthening cancer prevention and early detection while expanding diagnostic and treatment capacity under the National Strategic Cancer Control Plan.
According to him, cancer control required an integrated continuum covering risk reduction, health education, early diagnosis, referral, surgery, systemic therapy, radiotherapy, palliative care and survivorship.
Salako said the government was strengthening financial protection through the National Cancer Health Fund, although hepatobiliary cancers were currently excluded, with plans to expand its coverage.
He also cited the Nigerian Cancer Access Partnership, which provides 50 to 60 per cent discounts on anti-cancer medicines, alongside plans for a catastrophic health fund.
He said prevention remained central, particularly through tobacco control, healthier lifestyles and control of viral infections associated with cancer.
“For liver cancer, particularly hepatitis, emphasis is placed on prevention and control of hepatitis B and C through vaccination, screening, diagnosis and treatment,” he said.
Salako said Nigeria was also investing in specialists, laboratories, cancer treatment centres and research infrastructure, alongside mentorship, fellowships, specialised training and knowledge exchange.
He stressed that no country or institution could address the cancer burden alone, urging governments, researchers, academia, civil society, development partners and the private sector to work together.
Prof. Abdulfatai Olokoba, President of the Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria (SOGHIN), said the conference exemplified such partnerships among organisations working across the cancer and digestive disease fields.
Olokoba said the collaboration brought together oncologists, surgeons, pathologists, radiologists, scientists, nurses and other specialists to improve knowledge and skills.
He said hepatobiliary cancers remained particularly challenging in Africa because of late presentation, limited resources and capacity gaps, as well as inadequate awareness.
According to him, the three-day meeting would examine prevention, treatment, research, survivorship, public health education, vaccination, surgical innovations and approaches tailored to African realities.
Prof. Lewis Roberts, President of the African Institute for Liver and Digestive Diseases (AILDD), said hepatobiliary cancers often occurred at younger ages in Africa, resulting in substantial years of life lost.
He said prevention and early detection should remain priorities, noting that cancers diagnosed early were generally more treatable and less costly to manage.
Roberts said conference workshops were examining earlier detection of bile duct, pancreatic and liver cancers using advanced endoscopic procedures, endoscopic ultrasound, ultrasound and FibroScan.
He said research should also explore blood-based methods that could detect cancers earlier without requiring patients to undergo more demanding procedures.
For patients diagnosed at advanced stages, Roberts said research into tumour biology could enable targeted chemical and immune-based treatments tailored to individual cancers.
He, however, noted that the cost of some advanced treatments, including monoclonal antibodies, remained beyond the reach of many African health systems.
“We have to start now, and we have to start here,” Roberts said, urging African scientists to develop solutions suited to the continent’s realities.
The President of the Nigerian Cancer Society, Prof. Abidemi Omonisi, said the consortium was addressing cancers of the liver, pancreas and biliary tract, which continued to claim many lives in Africa.
Omonisi said liver cancer deserved particular attention because it was highly preventable, with chronic hepatitis B a major cause of the disease.
He said the consortium, established six years ago, had helped raise awareness while providing platforms for capacity building, research, knowledge exchange and networking across African countries.
Omonisi said experts from North America were also participating in the conference, creating opportunities for African researchers to connect with institutions capable of supporting research through funding.
He said Nigeria had made progress through routine hepatitis B vaccination, particularly among children, but significant gaps remained in the treatment of those who developed liver cancer.
According to him, Nigeria currently has no centre capable of providing liver transplantation, although Egypt and South Africa have established programmes.
“People don’t die from liver cancer in developed countries because you can do liver transplant,” Omonisi said.
He said discussions were ongoing between the government and consortium partners on establishing a liver transplant programme in Nigeria, which could reduce the need for patients to seek treatment abroad.
The conference, attended by more than 300 delegates from over 30 countries, focuses on prevention, treatment, research and survivorship for cancers affecting the liver, pancreas and biliary tract.
It began on Wednesday and ends on Saturday, bringing together experts from Africa, the United States, Europe, Asia and other regions.
