By Jane Okeke
Nigeria is making significant progress in cancer treatment and research, with experts saying improved access to life-saving medicines and stronger partnerships are opening new hope for patients across the country and Africa.
Dr. Lolade Adeyemi, Special Assistant on Research and Innovation to the Minister of State for Health, said the Federal Government is working to expand financial support for cancer patients through the National Health Research initiatives. She disclosed that specialised cancer and social health funds are being developed to help cover treatment costs for eligible patients.
Adeyemi also revealed that Nigeria has recorded a major breakthrough by launching its first three immunotherapy clinical studies, making advanced cancer drugs such as Keytruda and Nivolumab available in the country for the first time at no cost to participating patients.
She described the development as a milestone driven by local research, saying Nigerian scientists and researchers have demonstrated the country’s capacity to conduct world-class clinical trials, eliminating the need for many patients to travel abroad for advanced treatment.
Dr. Julie Gralow, Chief Medical Officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), said the Best of ASCO-AORTIC meeting is helping to bridge the gap between global cancer research and Africa’s healthcare realities.
Gralow noted that many breakthrough cancer drugs were tested with little or no participation from African patients, raising concerns about how well the treatments translate to African populations. She stressed the need for more African-led clinical trials and affordable access to new therapies through public health systems.
She announced that ASCO and the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) will open a second round of their Sub-Saharan Africa Clinical Research Scholars Programme in October to train early and mid-career African researchers and strengthen cancer research across the continent.
Miriam Mutebi, breast cancer surgeon and Immediate Past President of AORTIC, said Africa contributes only about eight percent of global cancer research despite carrying a growing cancer burden. She called for increased domestic funding and stronger political commitment to research and innovation.
Mutebi urged African governments to invest more in locally driven cancer research, improve patient education, strengthen healthcare systems and remove barriers that prevent patients from completing treatment, stressing that better research must ultimately translate into better care and improved survival for cancer patients.
