The Federal Government has been urged by the House of Representatives to offer free screening and subsidized treatment to individuals with cancer in all stages across the nation.
The House’s decision followed the deliberation and passage of a resolution on notice during Wednesday’s plenary, which was sponsored by Aderemi Oseni, the member for Oyo State’s Ibarapa Central/Ido Federal Constituency.
Speaking about the motion’s main points, the congressman from the All Progressives Congress said that cancer is a significant public health issue in Nigeria and that many patients cannot afford treatment since it is so expensive.
According to reports, approximately 125,000 Nigerians received a cancer diagnosis in 2020, he claimed, indicating that the disease is rapidly expanding among the country’s citizens. Cervical, prostate, and breast cancers are the most prevalent forms of cancer.
The House is concerned that, depending on the type of cancer, stage of the disease, treatment options, location, and personal medical history, the annual cost of cancer treatment can range from tens of millions of naira (or thousands of dollars) to hundreds of thousands of dollars.Because of the complicated and costly supply chain for cancer medications and the scarcity of radiation therapy equipment, the House is also worried that Nigerian cancer patients are having financial difficulties. Some people believe that cancer is a disease only the wealthy can afford or that it is a death sentence.
“But that is no longer the case, as both the poor and the rich in most cases are caught by the menace.”
According to the Oyo lawmaker, “The rising burden of cancer is causing a shortage of funding for cancer control services, with public financing being considered the most appropriate, sustainable and equitable solution to fund that aspect of health care to ameliorate the suffering of patients with cancer.”
In its resolution at the plenary presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, the House mandated its Committee on Healthcare Services “To collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and other relevant agencies to establish a mechanism for the Federal Government to provide subsidies for cancer treatment and related drugs to ameliorate the suffering of patients.”
It also called on the Federal Government to establish more cancer treatment centres as well as the procurement of more radiotherapy machines.
Others included the advocacy for free and early screening for cancer patients.
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