#CancerDay 2021: NGO Seeks Government's Support On Cancer Management

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) the Children with Cancer Intervention Initiative (CCII) calls on the government at all levels across Nigeria to support various initiatives and collaborate with registered organizations and centres for effective cancer management and other preventive measures aimed at addressing the disease rising cases in the country.

CCII explained that such collaboration with the government would ensure comparing of notes and statistics with several government agencies that can aid mass testing and early detection of cancers such that would allow immediate management and treatment of the disease in the country.

The group stated that early testing and other preventive mechanisms, including awareness campaigns and sensitization have proved worldwide to be effective in reducing the severity of the disease and that such can also be replicated in full scale in Nigeria with support from governments across the board.

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The CCII Director, Honor Onyebuchukwu, said that the call for support from governments became imperative after the outbreak of coronavirus in Nigeria which its economic effect had also impacted NGOs and reduced their capacities to ensure effective treatment and management of the disease.

She lamented that the resultant effect of the dwindling economic fortune which led to a decrease in the NGOs' response was the surge in cases of cancers being recorded daily among Nigerians and globally.

Through a statement she personally made available to The Guild in commemoration of this year’s World Cancer Day, Onyebuchukwu said that since the treatment of the killer disease cost a fortune and was beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians, the need by governments to support treatment and management of cancers in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized.

She added that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization had not relented in its programs and had been following the laid downs guidelines of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) which appealed that organizations and centres must do all within their powers in ensuring the pandemic does not dampen the spirit of cancer management globally.

“The world cancer body still believes in partnering with and encouraging governments around the world to invest in cancer control and be innovative in their approach so that they can better understand their cancer burden, and improve on prevention, early detection, and treatment of the scourge. This is the same policy direction that CCII believes in.

“The World Cancer Day 2021, therefore, is essentially to show the innovative responses of the cancer organizations around the world to the pandemic as they continue with efforts to maintain progress in cancer care even in this difficult season,” the statement said.

She added that the cancer global body would also be holding a summit in October where participants would dwell on how innovative approaches can facilitate continued care for people with cancer in furtherance of efforts aimed at responding properly and broadly to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer services and Health system globally.

“In CCII, our objective is to localize these efforts of the world body in our nation Nigeria. And our modus operandi is advocacy in every form of it. This we believe, God helping us, we shall continue to do until the myth of cancer is destroyed in our generation,” the statement added.