The Director General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, NICRAT, Prof. Usman Malami Aliyu, says the Institute is determined to disrupt cancer in Nigeria through intense awareness creation and improved access to treatment and research.
Professor Aliyu said this during the 7th Annual Conference of the Association of Nigeria Health Journalists, ANHEJ, which held in Akwanga, Nasarawa State, north central Nigeria.
He explained that statistics indicated that in 2020, an estimated 78,000 people died as a result of cancer related complications and Out of this number, 44,699 were females while 34,200 were males with over 120,000 new cancer cases every year in Nigeria.
He added that the high number of cancer incidences and deaths occasioned has been quite alarming hence his Institute was doing everything possible to halt the disease in the country.
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The Director General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment also noted that the Institute has mapped out strategies to increase experts in cancer Management by training and retraining different categories of health workers in the country.
Prof. Malami, therefore, solicited the support of the media, critical stakeholders including Non-Governmental Organisations, NGOs, in the cancer space so that cancer can be disrupted, defeated and eradicated in Nigeria in the next few years.
He also called on Nigerians to give close attention to their health by visiting nearest health facilities for regular checks.
(Editor: Ena Agbanoma)
