By Our Reporter
The Director General of National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Prof. Usman Malami Aliyu, has disclosed that his Institute is currently working on modalities to expand the Cancer Health Fund (CHF) to enable it cover patients who access services at private health facilities across the country.
He disclosed this when a delegation of cancer survivors under the umbrella of the Network of People Impacted by Cancer in Nigeria (NePICiN), led by the its President, Mrs Gloria Orji Nwajiogu, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja, on Thursday.
Represented by the Director of Clinical Service of the Institute, Dr. Musa Ali-Gombe, the NICRAT Director General further revealed that the CHF is being expanded to cover other forms of cancers.
It would be recalled that the CHF which is currently at its pilot stage is covering only three forms of cancers including Prostate, Breast and Cervical cancers.
An initiative of the Federal Ministry of Health, the CHF is aimed at providing cancer treatment to indigent Nigerians and strengthening national cancer care.
The initiative commenced in 2021 with six pilot hospitals – the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Kaduna state; the National Hospital, Abuja; the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin, Edo state; the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe; the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu; and the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo state.
While describing the CHF as one of the most important projects in the cancer space, the NICRAT Director General reiterated that the Institute is collaborating with critical stakeholders including the private sector and philanthropists to mobilise more funds to ensure that more cancer patients in the country benefit from the initiative.
He assured that NICRAT will work closely with cancer survivors and other stakeholders in the cancer space to ensure that every aspect of the National Cancer Control Plan (NCCP) is implemented for the benefit of those affected by the disease.
He, however, advised the NePICiN to be more inclusive and have a national outlook with branches in all states of the federation so that NICRAT can use it to reach all patients and survivors in the country.
On research, the NICRAT Director General revealed that the Institute is upgrading its infrastructure in order to improve cancer research and clinical trials in the country.
He noted that NICRAT has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with both international and local organisations in an effort to improve cancer research and clinical trials, assuring that there will be increase in clinical trials on various forms of cancers in Nigeria in the months ahead.
On his part, the Director, Cancer Surveillance and Monitoring of NICRAT, Prof. Sani A. Malami, charged the NePICiN to propagate the positive message about cancer to all nooks and crannies of the country. This, according, to him, will let those currently battling with the disease know that the it is not a dead sentence.
He, therefore, called on them to internalize the NCCP in order to know their role and what is expected of them as cancer survivors in the country.
Earlier, the President, Network of People Impacted by Cancer in Nigeria (NePICiN), Mrs Gloria Orji Nwajiogu, said that the visit was to intimate NICRAT of their planned outreach in the next few days.
She noted that the month of June is described as a Survivorship month of cancer patients around the world, hence, they want to hold an outreach in order to create awareness about the disease.
She said that all cancer survivors in the country are watching keenly and are satisfied with the manner and way NICRAT is tackling cancer challenges in the country.
She expressed optimism that with the speed NICRAT was going, cancer patients in the country will not face what those who had the disease some years back faced in terms of attention and treatment.
Mrs Orji commended doctors and other medical experts in the area of cancer for their good work, which, according to her, is resulting in more positive outcomes for cancer patients in the country.
