The National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) has commenced integration of a comprehensive cancer screening programme into Family Planning (FP) services across Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs).
Dr Yahaya Makanta, the NICRAT Consultant, said that the pilot integration of comprehensive cancer screening into FP services at the PHC level would commence in some states across Nigeria.
Makanta made the disclosure on Tuesday in Ilorin while speaking at the entry meeting with stakeholders on the integration of cancer prevention services into FP services in Kwara.
The consultant listed states on the pilot scheme to include Kwara, Ebonyi (South East), Cross River, Kebbi, Adamawa, Kwara and Ebonyi (South-South), which were expected to be models for the rest of the country.
He explained that the pilot programme in Kwara includes engaging stakeholders on the introduction of integrated cancer screening services with FP services, particularly for breast and cervical cancer.
“The essence is to see that these women that present for FP services are also screened for cancer.
“The prevalence of cancer cases in Nigeria is growing and quite significant. But we believe that a lot of women have actually not been screened, and that is why we are having this prevalence,” he said.
Makanta explained further that NICRAT wants to leverage FP service providers to capture and screen women for early detection and treatment of cancer cases in the country at the grass roots level.
Also speaking, Dr Usman Muhammad, the Director of Cancer Prevention and Control, NICRAT, explained that cancer prevalence in its entirety accounts for over 127,000 incidents in Nigeria.
Muhammad, who was represented by Mrs Deloraine Dennis, the Senior Scientific Officer, NICRAT, said over 80,000 deaths are recorded in Nigeria due to cancer.
“Breast cancer is the leading cause of these deaths, and out of these 127,000 cases, it accounts for 25.7 percent of these cancer deaths, with prostate cancer in second place, followed by cervical cancer,” he said.
Muhammad explained that NICRAT is saddled with the responsibility of taking care of cancer in Nigeria.
According to him, the agency ensures all Nigerians are cared for in terms of preventive measures, early detection and treatment.
Earlier in her address, the Kwara Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina El-Imam, decried the prevalence of non-communicable diseases in Nigeria, saying that it requires innovative solutions to resolve such a rise.
El-Imam, who was represented by Dr Oluwatosin Fakayode, the Director of Public Health of the ministry, stated that solving such a health crisis needs an awareness campaign and early detection.
He commended NICRAT for supporting Kwara as a participating partner in early cancer detection and treatment.
