.FG begins nationwide screening
CERVICAL cancer remains the second most common cancer affecting Nigerian women, the National Taskforce on Cervical Cancer Elimination (NTF-CCE) has disclosed.
Speaking during an awareness campaign at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, the Chairman of the Taskforce, Prof. Isaac Folorunsho Adewole, described the disease as a major public health challenge. Citing the 2022 GLOBOCAN report, he said Nigeria records 14,089 new cases and 8,240 deaths annually.
Represented by the Deputy Chairman, Dr Usman Waziri, Adewole expressed concern that the country’s 60 per cent case-fatality rate is “unacceptably high,” particularly for a disease that is preventable through vaccination and screening and curable if detected early.
To tackle the burden, the task force has developed a two-volume strategic plan for cervical cancer elimination and launched a national screening guideline. Dissemination of the guideline to experts across all 36 states forms part of the activities marking this year’s Cervical Cancer Elimination Day.
Adewole highlighted the launch of the Partnership to Eliminate Cervical Cancer in Nigeria (PECCiN) as a major milestone. Through PECCiN, the task force aims to achieve the “double 8” target: vaccinating eight million adolescent girls and screening eight million women yearly. The NPHCDA will lead vaccination efforts, while NICRAT coordinates screening and treatment.
He noted that Nigeria had made remarkable strides in HPV vaccination, adding that before the programme, only six million girls had been vaccinated across Africa in 2022.
He further stated that in just two years, Nigeria alone has vaccinated over 15 million girls, tripling the continent’s coverage, just as the country’s age-standardised incidence rate currently stands at 29 cases per 100,000 women.
As part of global commemoration activities, Adewole announced that the National Assembly would be illuminated in teal, in line with WHO directives.
Chairman of the House Committee on Health Services, Mr Amos Magaji, pledged legislative support for cancer prevention and treatment.
MEANWHILE, Nigeria’s manufacturer of blood glucose monitoring systems, Colexa Biosensor Ltd, has announced the commencement of the Federal Government’s nationwide diabetes screening and capacity-building programme, following the procurement of essential medical supplies, including locally manufactured diabetes diagnostic kits.
The initiative, officially kicked off yesterday in the North-Central geopolitical zone, beginning with the training of government health officials across primary healthcare centres (PHCs). This will be followed by a nationwide screening campaign targeting five million Nigerians across the 774 Local Government Areas of the country.
As part of this effort, the Federal Government will distribute over 77,000 units of the OnPoint Blood Glucose Monitoring System, produced by Colexa Biosensor in Lagos, to individuals diagnosed with diabetes during the screening exercise. Each PHC will also receive diagnostic and monitoring devices to support ongoing community-level diabetes care.
The National Desk officer, Diabetes, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Alayo Sopekan, described diabetes as one of the fastest-growing health burdens in Nigeria, emphasising the urgent need for early detection and monitoring.
