Edward Nnachi
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, and his team, on Wednesday, began free cancer screening for the first 1,000 individuals at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
The minister, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Daju Kachollom, said the nationwide exercise was organised to observe 2026 World Cancer Day, noting that cancer accounted for nearly 10,000 deaths in Nigeria annually.
He disclosed that the ministry planned to offer treatment to patients diagnosed during the screening, stressing that early detection would save lives, reduce financial burdens on families, and improve national productivity.
“Under the present administration, we are strengthening healthcare services, expanding the health insurance scheme, improving access to diagnosis, enhancing local pharmaceutical production, and modernising tertiary institutions,” he said.
The minister added that the flag-off would mark the beginning of capacity building for healthcare workers on treatment protocols, chemo-safety, and pain management, and commended partnering agencies and Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, for providing a conducive environment for the life-saving initiative.
The host and Chief Medical Director of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Prof Robinson Onoh, said the event was intended to commemorate World Cancer Day.
He noted that the institution had been transformed into a hub for medical tourism, serving residents of Ebonyi, other parts of Nigeria, and some foreign patients.
He added that the programme aimed to create nationwide awareness and promote early detection of the three most common cancers – breast, cervical, and prostate — while training healthcare providers under the National Comprehensive Cancer Network on harmonised guidelines for pain management.
“The flag-off included primary prevention strategies such as health education, public enlightenment, vaccination, and screening, emphasising that approximately one in five men or women developed cancer in a lifetime,” he said.
Prof Onoh further noted, “National regional centres were selected to celebrate World Cancer Day. Ebonyi State was chosen to represent the South-East zone, while AEFUTHA was selected to provide free cancer screening for 1,000 individuals.”
He commended President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Agenda and other interventions in the health sector, as well as Governor Nwifuru for creating an enabling environment for multiple programmes.
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