Lagos partners UNFPA to tackle cancer cases

Laments low sensitisation

Lagos State Government, yesterday, re-affirmed its commitment to partner the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to ensure that the state minimises cases of cancer among the people.

It, however, lamented low sensitisation of the people. The state’s Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who was represented by Director, Disease Control Directorate in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Rotimi Agbolagborite stated this at the breast and cervical cancer screening capacity building workshop organised by the ministry and UNFPA. The workshop was for 200 state healthcare workers drawn from LASUTH, 15 general hospitals and 44 primary health centres.

According to Abayomi, statistics has shown that the prevalence and incidence of breast cancer are on the increase, adding that they informed the need to heighten the level of awareness across the communities.

He said the ministry’s efforts at making cancer screening services more accessible and readily available in all state health facilities had been further strengthened with the recent support from UNFPA.

“Leveraging on available resources and to consolidate on her proactive strategy to improve access to cancer screening services across the state, the ministry is being supported by UNFPA to build the capacity of 200 state healthcare workers across the 60 free cancer screening sites in the state on breast and cervical cancer screening and treat services.

“Also, the ministry is striving to improve community sensitisation and public enlightenment on the availability of free breast and cervical cancer screening services in 60 state health facilities.

“Lagos State, with her large and increasing population, is not spared from increased health challenges. The state has, therefore, continued to experience the untimely death of her people and several of her notable citizens with a considerable proportion attributable to cancers.

“The World Health Organisation’s 2018 country profile states that about 30 per cent of all deaths in Nigeria is attributed to non-communicable diseases (NCD) with cancers being responsible for a considerable portion. Those at risk of being part of the statistics in Lagos State can be discovered early during screening services in state health facilities, after which, the beneficiaries would be managed accordingly with referral and linkage to follow-up care.

“In January 2021, the Lagos State Government, with the support of CHAI (Clinton Health Access Initiative), began provision of free breast and cervical cancer screening services in 60 state health facilities.”