…Magashi advocates scaling of fund to 36 states
By Hassan Zaggi
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the movement of Cancer Health Fund (CHF) from the Federal Ministry of Health to the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT).
The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the 2023 International Cancer Week, in Abuja, on Monday.
He assured the commitment of the President Tinubu-led administration to vigorously address the health needs of Nigerians with particular interest in cancer care.
The CHF, an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Health, is a social service and an innovative way to provide affordable cancer treatments for indigent patients at treatment centers across Nigeria.
The CHF program commenced in 2021 with six pilot hospitals. They include Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), National Hospital Abuja (NHA), University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin (UBTH), Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe (FTH), University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) and University College Hospital (UCH).
The Minister also formally launched three documents put together by NICRAT. They include the National Strategic Cancer Control Plan 2023-2027; National cancer Research Agenda 2024-2027 and National Strategic Plan for Prevention of Cancer of Uterine Cervix 2023-2027.
While lamenting that cancer has become an emerging disease of serious health concern, the Minister said that the federal government has taken drastic measures and well thought out steps to halt the disease.
“This informed the resolve of the Federal Ministry of Health to take the leadership role and harness all available material and human resources within its domain to disrupt this pattern from gaining grounds or becoming established.
“To actualize this objective, the Ministry midwifed the establishment of NICRAT to provide national leadership in cancer Research and Treatment in liaison with other stakeholders including public and private cancer treatment centres across the country.
“Although the Institute became fully operational under the leadership of the Pioneer Director General, Prof Usman Malami Aliyu barely 9 months ago, it has made tremendous efforts towards its core mandates.
“I wish to enjoin all stakeholders to collaborate with The Federal Ministry of Health through NICRAT to address the menace of cancer in our society,” the Minister said.
The Minister noted that the 4-points agenda recently unveiled by his ministry were in compliance with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed Hope Agenda.
He reiterated that: “Cancer care is among the disease areas that fits into the entire four point agenda and will receive the maximum political and financial support from this administration.
“It is line with the 4 point agenda that the three documents to be launched as part of this opening ceremony.
“All the 3 documents have priority Areas of action that address governance, prevention, supply chain management, data and research as well as surveillance which are in tandem with the above 4 point agenda.”
In his address of welcome, the Director General of NICRAT, Prof. Usman Malami, noted that the burden of cancer in Nigeria is high, but that his Institute is committed to providing national leadership to fight the disease as empowered by the NICRAT establishment Act 2017.
“Although we are barely 9 months as an organization, we have made several giant strides in laying down a formidable base for the institute to actualize its mandate.
“We have visited several Federal government sister agencies, individuals and groups within and outside the country to solicit support and collaboration.
“I am overwhelmed by the level of acceptance, goodwill and expression of love we have received from the stakeholders.
“Although we are yet to be included in the national budgetary appropriation, we were able to secure and furnish two temporary take-off sites that are in serene environment within the city of Abuja, procured office equipment, operational vehicles with the very little take-off grant from the government,“ Prof. Malami said.
Speaking while delivering a goodwill message, the Coordinator Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), Dr.Aminu Magashi called on the federal government to “deepen national and states collaboration for cancer care and for the National Cancer Health Fund to be scale up to all the 36 states for equity and access..”
