Project PINK BLUE, Inclusive Cancer Care Research Equity for Black Men Consortium, and JNC International have organized the 2023 Men on Blue+ prostate cancer webinar commemorating International Men’s Day.
The webinar had leading cancer scientists, health system experts, and stakeholders. Runcie C.W. Chidebe, Executive Director of Project PINK BLUE and the convener said “Every day in Nigeria, we hear and see breast cancer survivors, but prostate cancer survivors are rarely seen or heard of. Based on the above, many Nigerians assume that cancer is a ‘woman’s thing’. The challenges of men battling prostate cancer are not always discussed and rarely considered for intervention. Our Men on Blue initiative started in 2017 as a platform to create awareness of prostate cancer among Nigerian men and to advocate better policies for men”
A former presidential candidate, and professor of political economy Pat Utomi has called on Nigerian men to see prostate health as an obligation. He said: “My father passed away of cancer at age 52, hence I was very sensitive and always did my annual medical checkups including prostate screening. At the onset of COVID-19, around 2020, my prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was found to be elevated and I was asked to see a urologist and later had a direct rectal examination. The results now showed positive for prostate cancer”.
“A disease is a disease, what is the difference between malaria and cancer? I had 45 sessions of radiotherapy, hormone treatment, and other medications.
“Today, my PSA has dropped to a normal level. My hormone treatment will go on till next year. There is a lot of ignorance about prostate cancer. I wonder why we are not doing enough to get men aware. There are lots and lots of men of my age who are having problems with their prostate, but they are hiding it. Unfortunately, they are dying” Prof. Utomi said.
“Treating cancer is not affordable in Nigeria, hence, there is a need for public-private sector collaboration and investment. However, so many bottlenecks exist in setting up a cancer centre in Nigeria.
“For instance, the Nigeria Nuclear Radiation Authority charges for a license to import equipment, fees to register your premises, and more fees to commission the equipment. It totals over N17.5 million to set up one cancer machine. In addition to this, customs duties, and many others. All these charges are now passed on to cancer patients, therefore cancer treatment is not accessible to many Nigerians.
“We need to rethink cancer control and place cancer patients first” Clare Omatseye, CEO, JNCI International and Vice President of the African Healthcare Federation.
While speaking on what Nigerian men should do, it was said that “Prostate cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths in Nigerian men. In 2020, 15,306 Nigerian men were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 8,517 deaths were recorded.
“The risk factors of prostate cancer are first, being a man, second, age, and third being black. Genetically, there is something about Black people that increases the prostate cancer risk and makes it more aggressive in black men.
“Other risk factors of prostate cancer are smoking, obesity, stress, and having multiple sexual partners” said Solomon Rotimi, a professor of Biochemistry at Covenant University and multiple principal investigator, at Inclusive Cancer Care Research Equity for Black Men Consortium funded by the U.S. Department of Defense”.
Rotimi further revealed,”Since 2017, ACT Foundation has been funding Project PINK BLUE – Health & Psychological Trust Centre to implement a prostate cancer intervention known as Men on Blue. Through Men on Blue, more than 68 communities in seven (6) states in Nigeria including Abuja-FCT, Enugu, Lagos, Nassarawa, Niger, and Rivers State have been impacted. Over 4,000 men have benefitted directly from our life-saving prostate screening, care, support, and information. Our programme has become the leading prostate cancer intervention in Nigeria.
“It has increased awareness and has activated interest in prostate and men’s health in Nigeria. Next year, we are planning on a national campaign. Please visit www.projectpinkblue.org to join Men on Blue and support our work.
“Project PINK BLUE- Health & Psychological Trust Centre is a leading cancer fighting non-governmental organization in Nigeria, last year, they won the prestigious World Cancer Day Spirit Award 2018 at World Cancer Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for their world cancer day advocacy and collaborative spirit.
