…Advocates deployment of cutting edge solutions

The federal government has said that Africa faces a serious challenge from the scrouge of cancer which kills more than war and is killing more Africans than AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis combined.

 

Quoating the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBACAN) data, government noted that Africa recorded 1,187,697 new cancer cases and 721,629 cancer related deaths in 2024.

Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Adekunle Salako who stated this at the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) and the Best of ASCO Africa 2026 on Friday in Abuja observed that this unacceptable morbidity and mortality figures are largely due to increase prevalence of life style and environmental risk factors, ageing population, non-implementation or near lack of early detection strategies and poor treatment infrastructure exacerbated by health inequities across the continent.

Salako lamented that Nigeria being the most populous nation in the continent accounts for about 10.5 percent of the figure for Africa, sharing the unenviable top 3 positions with Egypt and South Africa.

He noted that the theme of the event, “From Global Discovery to Local Recovery: Driving Africa to the Cutting Edge of Cancer Care,” is apt as it reflects our commitment to translating global oncology advances into context-specific solutions that improve outcomes across Africa.

Salako emphasized that Africa must rise to tackle the cancer burden not just as a health issue, but as a matter of human security, economic progress, and sustainable development.

He noted that politics, security and trade have in the past dominated pan-african conversations ,but time is now to push for more on Healthcare Pan-Africanism to collaboratively tackle African health challenges.

 

According to him, the opportunity to reframe this burden, transforming it from an escalating fiscal drain into a platform for human capital investment, economic productivity, and health system maturity, is being amplified through events like this that provides an African approach to global oncology breakthroughs.

 

He said, “The cancer burden is however not an intractable fate, it is a solvable problem as the science of prevention is settled; the policy frameworks are in place and in a number of African countries, including Nigeria the political will is demonstrably stronger than at any previous point in our health governance history. What remains is the pan-African spirit of collaboration, financing architecture that is domesticated and, the institutional will to execute at scale”.

 

The minister who stated that Nigeria is making steady progress in cancer research, prevention and care with a vision to reduce the cancer burden by at least 30% by 2030, observed that Nigeria is demonstrating resilience backed by the highest level of political support to address challenges in the entire cancer care continuum and has developed and we are vigorously implementing the Nigeria National Cancer Control Plan 2026-2030 with the ambitious goal of reducing cancer burden in Nigeria by 30% by 2030.

 

Salako noted that the national plan is comprehensive and cover diverse areas including Risk Assessment and Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment, Care Coordination and Patient Navigation, Research, Survivorship, Data Management, Artificial Intelligence, Partnerships, Resource Mobilization and Oncology Workforce Development.

 

He pointed out that in order to ensure coordinated implementation, a dedicated National Technical Working Group was inaugurated made of diverse experts including cancer survivors, researchers clinicians, administrators, NGOs, the private sector, and development partners.

 

Salako observed that the TWG have so far demonstrated capacity to assist with the implementation of the Nigeria National Cancer Control Plan using an implementation science approach to turn the Plan into impact and stressed the need for stakeholders across the continent to collaborate for optimal implementation of the various strategies of our national plan.

 

He said that the concept of the best of ASCO to better contextualise cancer care in Africa is a welcome development adding that Nigeria is ready to contribute to entrench this spirit of Cancer Care Pan-Africanism that bridge borders, shares resources and information and focuses on a jointly developed roadmap to significantly reduce cancer incidence and mortality, and improve the quality of life of African patients with cancer.

 

Salako underscored the need to harness such research findings to impact our standard of care, improve clinical outcomes for patients and survivorship in our environment.

 

“My challenge to you all eminent cancer professionals is not to take findings from other terrain and apply it hook, line and sinker, but to replicate the research work presented at the ASCO conferences in order to demonstrate applicability of the findings in our environment.I am informed that this program today will feature in-depth discussion and analysis of the latest scientific findings in primary disease sites and practice-changing advances in cancer treatment. This is a desirable support to the development professionals, oncology leaders, policymakers, researchers, clinicians, advocates, and partners from across Africa”, he added.

Earlier, the Director General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) Prof. Usman Aliyu said that the organisation remains committed to advancing cancer prevention, research, early detection, treatment, and access through evidence-based policies, strategic partnerships, and innovative programmes that are transforming cancer care in Nigeria.

 

He noted that the institute has launched several initiatives to boost cancer care in the country adding that under the Strengthening Institutional Capacity in Cancer Research (SINCA) NICRAT has trained about 140 early career scientists in various areas of cancer care and has also awarded grants to the 24 best grant writers who applied to enable them do their research.

 

He said, “We’ve strengthened a lot of tertiary centers that have good laboratories for research. We’ve supplied them with several equipments, the vacuum, microscope, and so many other things. And all those were mainly to strengthen the research.

 

Aliyu observed that as Africa continues to confront a growing cancer burden, collaboration across governments, academia, professional societies, industry, and development partners has never been more important.

 

He stated that this year’s theme, “From Global Discovery to Local Recovery: Driving Africa to the Cutting Edge of Cancer Care,” is both timely and inspiring. It reminds us that scientific breakthroughs achieve their greatest impact only when they are translated into equitable access, stronger health systems, and improved outcomes for every patient.

 

Also speaking, the Conference Chair and the

North America Vice President of AORTIC and Co-Chair of the A2I Special Interest Group, Dr. Abiola Ibraheem stated that each year, the global oncology community witnesses remarkable scientific breakthroughs-new targeted therapies, immunotherapies, antibody-drug conjugates, diagnostic technologies, and precision medicine, approaches that are transforming the lives of patients around the world yet, for many patients across Africa, these advances remain beyond reach.

 

She observed that the challenge before the global community is no longer simply generating innovation but ensuring equitable access to innovation.

 

Ibraheem noted that the conference is a platform for translating knowledge into action. It is an opportunity to examine how practice-changing discoveries can move beyond conference hails and journals to become realities in clinics, hospitals, and communities across out continent.

She stressed the need to work together to close the persistent gap between what is possible in cancer cure and what is currently available to many of our patients

Ibraheem explained that Clinical Sessions during the conference will highlight the most important advances presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting and explore their implications for African oncology practice while Non-Clinical Sessions will challenge members to think beyond the science and address the policies, financing mechanisms, infrastructure, workforce development, regulatory pathways, and partnerships needed to deliver these advances to those who need them most.

She emphasized that scientific progress alone does not improve outcomes-access does.