Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Health, has revealed that the sum of N200 million has been allocated for the treatment of indigent cancer patients in the 2024 Appropriation Act, as part of the Cancer Health Fund (CHF).
This announcement was made during a press briefing held in Abuja to commemorate the 2024 World Cancer Day (WCD).
World Cancer Day, observed annually on February 4th, serves as a global platform to raise awareness about cancer and advocate for its prevention, early detection, and treatment. The theme for 2024, “Together, We Challenge Those In Power”, emphasizes the urgent need for leaders worldwide to prioritize and invest in cancer prevention and care, aiming towards a more equitable and cancer-free world.
Dr. Alausa highlighted that between 2022 and 2024, the focus of the global observance has been to “Close the Cancer Gap”. During this period, the Federal Government has allocated a total of N1.3 billion to the CHF, demonstrating its commitment to enhancing the treatment options available to indigent cancer patients.
“This significant financial commitment emphasises the government’s dedication to addressing the challenges faced by cancer patients, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.”
“The allocation of funds towards cancer treatment reflects a proactive approach towards improving healthcare services and ensuring access to quality treatment for all citizens.
“Though the fund would not be enough to do what needed to be done to take care of Nigerians; the ministry is mobilising funds through a sector-wide approach and involving private sector participation,” he said.
The Minister of State for Health, speaking further stressed that is not what we need to take care of the large burden of the disease that we face, adding that the ministry is working on mobilising a substantial amount of money from two various pathways.
“The Health Sector Renewal Initiative, the big focus of that is the sector-wide approach. This will enable us to mobilise funds and coordinate the current fragmentation we have in our healthcare system.
“We have the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), which is one percent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) but that is not enough to meet the healthcare needs of our vulnerable group and the people that need it the most,” said Alausa.
Alausa said that the ministry would collaborate with development partners to direct funds to where it was needed for better coordination to avoid duplication.
“As we mobilise some of the funds from our development partners as well as the funds from the BHCPF, we will direct more to Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
“The move is to enable us to cover all patients as we move into the year, and we are fortunate to have a supplementary budget; we will advocate for more funding to be directed to the healthcare sector.”
He also said that the recently created National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) had been mandated by law to provide leadership in the area of cancer research and treatment.
For better coordination, he said, the ministry recently moved the CHF being coordinated and housed in the ministry to NICRAT to provide prompt and unhindered access to indigent Nigerians who needed it for efficiency, particularly timeliness and sustainability.
He said the ministry would, however, continue to provide its oversight and policy direction for the fund.
Speaking about some of the steps taken to address cancer challenges in the country, he mentioned primary prevention through vaccination, early detection, prompt treatment and research.
According to him, the ministry, through the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), is leading the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination for primary prevention of cancer of the cervix.
“It is also carrying out Hepatitis immunisation for the prevention of liver cancers.
“Vaccination for viral hepatitis has been on the national programme on immunisation, HPV Vaccination was commenced in 2023.
“I hereby enjoin parents, opinion leaders and indeed all stakeholders to take advantage of the immunisation programmes. The vaccine is free, very safe and highly efficacious in preventing these cancers.”
The minister also said that the NHIA Act 2022 had made health insurance mandatory for all Nigerians and, therefore had been mandated through a guideline to enrol all Nigerians including cancer patients into health insurance.
“The NHIA will ultimately manage funding for cancer care in the future, to avoid duplication of roles in terms of purchase of services for all patients.
“Recently, the operational guideline of the NHIA Act was launched to pave the way for the full operationalisation of the Act, which also provides for funding for vulnerable Nigerians including cancer patients.”
He also said that to improve access to cancer care services, the government was establishing six new cancer centres of excellence in the following hospitals across the six geopolitical zones with brachytherapy machines and other equipment.
They are the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu (South-East), Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina (North-West), University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin (South-South) and Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos (North Central).
Others are Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos (South West), while the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri (North-East) was being upgraded.
Alausa added that the ministry was currently implementing the National Policy on Hospice and Palliative Care and the National Policy on Chemotherapy Safety which were launched in 2021.
“This year is the midterm of their implementation; the ministry will take steps to review the level of implementation of the two policy documents with the view to ensuring optimal uptake by the healthcare providers across the country.”
Speaking about the 2024 World Cancer Day Theme which says “Together, we can challenge those in power”, he said that they have challenged themselves and have resolved to close the cancer care gap in Nigeria.
One of the advocates for early detection and treatment present at the conference advocated strongly for measures to ensure early detection such as affordable testing was put in place.
NAN
