Stakeholders decry rising cases of prostate cancer

• Foundation Stakes N4.1b To Tackle Disease
Stakeholders, yesterday, in Lagos, were worried over the growing cases of prostate cancer in Nigeria, insisting that drastic efforts are needed on early detention and prevention.

This is coming as the Dozy Mmobuosi Foundation has launched a free Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Service with a $10 million (N4.1 billion) fund aimed at building mobile screening infrastructure, especially luxury buses across the nation’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to tackle the scourge.

Reportedly, prostate cancer is both the most common and most deadly cancer with 32·8 cases and 16·3 deaths per 100, 000 men, with estimated 80 per cent of Nigerians incurable on diagnosis.

The worries for most health experts at the event were the implications of prostate cancer on the nation’s economy, workforce and the burden households face considering the roles men play in the family.

Coming under the endorsement of the Nigerian Medical Association and Rotary Club, over 37 buses with advanced screening capabilities provided by the foundation would be rolled out in Nigeria, starting with Lagos.

Speaking at the event, an Urologist Consultant, Dr. Taiwo Alabi, stated that Nigerians must take serious the need for early detention of cancer cases, especially prostate cancer. 

Alabi decried the growing rate of prostate cancers, saying that the disease remained a critical health burden in the country. 

He noted that detecting the disease early would lead to cure, stressing that the initiative on the free mobile screening by the foundation remained critical and must be commended.

Disclosing that the project has over 100 medical practitioners lined up, with an expected 4,000 medical professional volunteers set to join, the founder of the foundation, Dozy Mmobuosi said: “Early detection is one of the best tools we have to prevent prostate cancer. Through the roll out of these buses, I hope to see prostate cancer rates in men decrease, and I urge all men, specifically those aged 45 and over, to go for a free prostate cancer screening on these state-of-the-art buses.”

Reacting to the need for the programme, he disclosed that he almost lost his father to the disease, adding that with growing poverty and unemployment in the country, taking of the burden of screening off most men would drastically reduce the disease.

“The reason I’m launching mobile screening clinics across Nigeria is because I almost lost my father to prostate, my family is fortunate to have the resources to deal with his. But I know millions of men across Nigeria do not have access to this,” Mmobuosi said.

According to him, the project was designed specifically to reach as many people as possible across the country regardless of their geography.

Commenting further on the initiative, Mmobuosis said: “Research shows that one-third of prostate cancer cases can be prevented and another third cured altogether if detected through early screening practices like we are offering free of charge. Embarking on such a mission like this is essential in our fight against the awful disease.”

The Lagos chairman of NMA, Dr. Tajudeen Mobolaji Salau, who said cancer cases remained worrisome in the country, noted that the NMA would provide necessary support to ensure that the initiative is successful and sustained.

“This is commendable. They have requested for our support and given how critical this is we will support it. This is in line with our own initiative which is see to the growth of healthcare as well as the welfare of the people of the nation. This is a welcome idea,” Salau said.

The Coordinator, Dozy Mmobuosi Foundation Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Service, Dr. Segun Sanni, said the luxury buses being used for the screening was 100 per cent indigenously fabricated.

He noted that with the growing poverty in Nigeria, most people who are still struggling with livelihood may not have access to the screening except they access to free screening.

Sanni noted that while emphasis has been around other types of cancers, very little is being done in the area of prostate cancer in men, who happen to be the breadwinner of the family.

“Prostate cancer in Nigeria is one of the leading cause of cancer death and we want to tackle that,” he said.