By Hassan Zaggi
“I have a firm confidence in the person of Prof Malami in terms of delivery of the mandate given to him.”- Dr. Adamu Alhassan Umar, President, Nigerian Cancer Society,
“I know Prof . Malami for several years and I think he is intelligent. An oncologist who is rightly placed to lead the Institute. I have the confidence that he is going to do a lot of difference.”- Runcie Chidebe, Executive Director, Project Pink Blue
There is no doubt, cancer is top among Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) that gives the federal government and, in fact, critical stakeholders in the health sector sleepless nights.
This is because cancer is a major contributor of morbidity and mortality in Nigeria.
Cancer also has devastating effect on the finances of patients, relations and the immediate community of those affected as treatment for the disease is most times, beyond the reach of common man.
To worsen the situation, survival rate of cancer patients is slim when not nipped in the bud at its infancy stage.
In Nigeria, findings have shown that in 2020, an estimated 78,000 people died as a result of cancer related complications. Out of this number, 44,699 were females while 34,200 were males.
It is however, frightening that this number, according to experts, is going to increase because there are over 120,000 new cancer cases every year.
One major troubling concern about cancer in Nigeria is that, apart from the fact that awareness is still low, with limited access to treatment, there are no enough cancer experts in the country.
All these concerns fueled the need to have a dedicated agency of government that will solely concentrate and tackle cancer in all its ramifications.
In order to find lasting solution to cancer concerns in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, December 2017, assented to the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (Establishment) Bill 2017.
The Act is to provide national direction in cancer research, control and treatment; guide scientific improvements to cancer prevention, treatment and care, coordinate and liaise between the wide range of groups and health care providers with an interest in cancer.
The strategic focus of the Institute as enshrined in the Act include policy advisory in cancer prevention, treatment and control; regulate and enhance access to cancer care in Nigeria; research and development in cancer prevention and control; resource mobilization for cancer prevention and control; establish and maintain cancer registry; public education and awareness creation in cancer and capacity development in cancer prevention and control.
In order to achieve this, President Muhammadu Buhari in February this year appointed Associate Prof. Usman Malami Aliyu, as the pioneer Director General (DG) of the National Institute for Cancer Research And Treatment (NICRAT).
His appointment generated a lot of reactions from many Nigerians, especially, critical actors in the health sector.
This is because, Associate Prof. Malami is not new in the cancer space in Nigeria.
To put it straight, prior to his appointment, Malami, was an Associate Professor/Consultant Clinical and Radiation Oncologist; Director, clinical services, Research and Training and a Public Health Physician at the Usman Danfodio University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto.
At the time he was appointment, Prof. Malami was serving as the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) of the hospital.
Associate Prof. Malami was also serving his second term as Assistant Secretary General of the Nigerian Cancer Society (NCS) at the time he was appointed.
Many stakeholders in the cancer space in Nigeria believe that Associate Prof. Malama is the right person to serve as the pioneer Director General of NICRAT because of his vast knowledge, experience and understanding of cancer issues in Nigeria.
They belief that he will bring to bare both his local and international connections and therefore, set the Institute on the right path of rapid growth.
Many stakeholders in the health sector who said they knew Associate Prof. Malami for a couple of years, disclosed that he is well equipped and has acquired the requisite training both within and outside the country for the job. He is well prepared.
Findings showed that Associate Prof. Malami had a Fellowship training in Radiation and Medical Oncology at Max Super Specialty Hospital, Delhi, India; Fellowship Training in Radiation and Medical Oncology, National Cancer Institute Cairo, Egypt and also served as Senior Registrar in Clinical and Radiation Oncology, University College Hospital, Ibadan.
Apart from being a member of the National Cancer Control Plan Implementation Committee since 2018 till the time he was appointment as the DG NICRAT, Associate Prof. Malami was Senior lecturer, College of Health Sciences, Department of Radiology, Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology Unit, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto; Program Manager for Health, Freedom for Live Initiative, Sokoto and Head, Department of Radiotherapy and clinical Oncology, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto.
Speaking to our correspondent on the capability of the NICRAT Director General to handle the task before him, a cancer survivor, Mrs Victoria Angulu, said that she came across Prof. Malami when she was battling with breast cancer in 2017.
According to her, at the peak of the sickness, a medical doctor recommended that she has to look for Prof. Malami wherever she could find him so that he could handle her challenge.
“The doctor told me how knowlegible Prof. Malami is in the area of cancer and that he was the only doctor that could resolve my case.
“Luckily for me, I met him and he directed me on what to do. Within few days, I saw remarkable improvement. However, I later got the opportunity to complete the treatment outside the country. I must tell you that Prof. Malami is an authority when it comes to cancer care.
“I believe that he can handle the task before him and put Nigeria in the global map in terms of cancer research and treatment. What he needs from all Nigerians is support.”
On his part, while responding to questions from our Correspondent, the President, Nigerian Cancer Society, Dr. Adamu Alhassan Umar, said that even though there is much expectation on the NICRAT Director General, he expressed optimism that following his antecedents “he will deliver.
“He is a Clinical Oncologist of repute. He has very vast experience in the areas of research, cancer treatment and cancer advocacy.
“Following his background, we have very high expectation on the Institute and of course on the person of Prof Malami in our desire to see a reduction or a paradigm shift in the very poor statistics in cancer treatment outcomes in Nigeria.”
Speaking on his expectations on the Institute and the DG as a person, the President, Nigerian Cancer Society said: “With this institute, it is expected that research in the cancer space will increase, we will have a generalized umbrella for coordination of cancer activities in the country; a system of consolidation on cancer registries and of course, all cancer treatment centres.
“We now have a general platform where we can harness the vast human resources the nation has in order to advance the course of cancer care. This is because cancer care is something that needs research to be able to know whether we are making progress in the area of treatment and whether we are making progress in the area of reduction of burden of cancer.
“As cancer advocates, we have very high expectation.”
Commenting on Prof Malami’s capability to turn around the Institute for speedy growth, Dr. Alhassan said: “He is somebody we have worked with over the years, he is somebody that is down to earth and very serious and meticulous when it comes to his clinical activities, hence, we expect nothing less than a complete renewal of cancer research in Nigeria.
“We have very high expectation of him and pray that political will on the part of the government will be there so he will be able to perform.
“I have a firm confidence in the person of the Prof Malami in terms of delivery of the mandate given to him.”
While calling for support to enable Prof. Malami succeed in setting the Institute on the right path, the NCS President said: “We are all stakeholders as far as this institute is concerned. The patients and survivors are also stakeholders, academicians/researchers are also stakeholders. Every Nigerian is technically a stakeholders and it is our collective effort that will ensure that the institute performs well and delivers on the given mandate.”
Speaking about funding for the Institute, Dr. Alhassan said: “Actually, this is our area of concern because government always has a way of making a commitment but failing to honour it.
“With this institute, it has become paramount for us as advocates to continue to engage government and make them see reason on why there should be sincere commitment in terms of funding, budgetary releases and increase for funding for health care in general.
“I believe so much that this government has the commitment, the way withal to make this Institute take off smoothly. It is our prayer that the in- coming administration will equally key in and support the Institute and consolidate in the giant stride made by this administration in terms of funding, infrastructural development of the institute and in terms of provision of all the things that the institute needs to deliver on its mandate in line with the Act that establishes it.”
On his part, the Executive Director of Project Pink Blue, Runcie Chidebe, while commending the federal government for appointing Prof. Malami as the DG of NICRAT, he said: “I know Prof . Malami for several years and I think he is intelligent. An oncologist who is rightly placed to lead the Institute. I have the confidence that he is going to do a lot of difference.”
On what, Prof. Malami should focus on, Chidebe said: “My advice for him and the Institute is that one thing we have always faced in cancer control is that we confront cancer only on the perspective of treatment. This is a major problem. Even currently in the budgeting all you see is focusing on treatment. There is limited emphasis on survivorship and on prevention. It is good to treat but cancer should be targeted from a whole perspective- prevention, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and palliative care. “Not many Nigerians can afford cancer treatment, it is even better to as well invest in prevention.
“It should focus on all the different aspects of cancer journey because diagnosis of cancer is a journey and you will not want to travel on a journey by starting from the middle of the road. It is not possible.
“The Institute need to work on implementing the National Cancer Screening Programme.
“It is important that the programme be implemented. We did it for HIV in a very simple way. We can start by piloting on breast, cervical and prostrate.
“In a very simple way, once a very eligible man or woman arrives a hospital, the way we mandate every person to do HIV test, we easily mandate all patients to do cancer test.”
