A radiologist at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, Prof. Ifeoma Okoye, has said that Africa’s cancer mortality will double in the next 20 years if not tackled.
Speaking in Enugu on Wednesday during the Physicians’ Week organised by the Nigeria Medical Association, Enugu branch, Okoye noted that if cancer infections continued to rise without adequate modalities to control it, the country’s gross domestic product would be affected.
“This is because if those in productive age bracket are infected with cancer, their level of growth and productivity will be affected and this will in turn affect their individuality, community and the government,” she said.
She regretted that many chronic diseases were not adequately addressed in the country, especially in the rural areas as many people living with cancer did not have access to primary health care.
Okoye said that the UN Cancer Control Programme was not implemented in the country and urged the governments to invest in health care to develop its own cancer plan.
The professor of radiation medicine said that tobacco intake, excessive alcohol, environmental factors and people’s lifestyle were the major causes of cancer.
She said that early detection, medical check-up and supportive medicine would make a difference as she urged the government to promote Hepatitis B immunisation which was capable of impacting on cervical cancer.
She advised the NMA to use the programme and reach out to the people, especially those in the rural areas.
Declaring the week open, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State promised to partner with the association to enhance healthcare services in the state.
Ugwuanyi, who was represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Sam Ngwu, challenged the NMA to come out with a robust strategy that would move the health sector forward.
In his keynote address, the Chairman of the state assembly committee on health, Dr Emeka Ogbuabo, attributed the poor health situation in the country to corruption and lack of transparency.
Ogbuabo said that the assembly would intensify its oversight function to boost the sector.
Earlier, the Chairman of NMA in the state, Dr Cajetan Onyedum, said the programme was aimed to tackle healthcare challenges in the state and Nigeria in general.
Onyedum said the association presented a copy of the National Health Act passed in 2014 to the Enugu State House of Assembly to bring the attention of the government to the need to speed up its implementation without further delay.
The theme of the week is `Health Care in a Frail Economy: Challenges and Way Forward’. (NAN)