Victor EzejaCancer survivors have called for improvement of Nigeria’s healthcare system for quality care, and also create robust advocacy campaigns to counter stigmatisation of patients.
They made the call during the third edition of Prime Business Africa’s Health and Business series, held via X space on Sunday, 28th July 2024 on the theme: “Cancer Warriors: Inspiring Stories of Survival and triumph.”
Join our WhatsApp ChannelEngr Dozie Akwarandu, a stage-three colorectal cancer survivor and founder of Nest of Hope Cancer Advocacy & Support Community, said Nigeria has no structured healthcare system for effective healthcare delivery, especially for treatment of cancer.
Akwarandu called on Nigerian authorities to improve the healthcare system for effective management of not just cancer but other debilitating diseases affecting people in the country.
He said: ”We don’t even have a system that says at certain age, let’s say 40, you need to be doing some screenings like the Europeans or the Americans do. They have a protocol that says at certain point, you need to have these screenings done.
“So, a lot of people who are dying of one stomach problem or the other do not even know that there is something that is called colorectal cancer or stomach cancer.”
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He pointed out that going for screening helps in early detection and effective management of the health challenge, making the person to live longer.
Reflecting on his experience with cancer, Akwarandu, a civil engineer, stated that the health problem opened his eyes to numerous health challenges in the country. “Cancer opened my blind eyes and reset my whole being.”
He said given his experience with the disease he advise people to strive to live a healthy lifestyle. “Pursue yourself right now, live a healthy life,” he admonished.
The cancer care advocate, who said a couple of body signs he had, never made him realise it was cancer, urged people to monitor signs in their body and take necessary steps to save their lives when it is still at the early stage.
He advised cancer patients to have a positive mindset that they can survive and keep seeking the right medical care.
Mr Akwarandu said his NGO, Nest of Hope Cancer Advocacy & Support Community, was founded out of his experience and passion as a cancer survivor to raise awareness about cancer incidence, prevalence, and the burden and also provide support services by way of empowering people with knowledge of prevention and survivorship care.
Another cancer survivor, Dr Denise Ejoh, Chief Executive Officer of Cormode Cancer Foundation, underscored the need for survivors to share their voices to help other patients in being open about their problems and daily struggles with the disease to take necessary steps in managing the condition.
Dr Ejoh, who was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer eight years ago, and has survived after undergoing medical procedures, said survivors need to share their voices to help others in being open and seek solution to their problems rather than remaining with fear of being stigmatised and the belief that cancer is a death sentence.
She also stressed the need for people to eschew certain erroneous beliefs that could worsen their problem and be open-minded in seeking medical care.
Cancer is one of the non-communicable diseases that have recorded steady increase in developing countries in recent years. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), there were over 124,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed in Nigeria in 2020 alone.
Earlier in his opening remarks at the series, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Prime Business Africa, Dr Marcel Mbamalu, expressed concern about the impact of cancer, which claims thousands of lives every year.
He noted that the burden is more pronounced in developing countries where healthcare systems are not yet advanced to give adequate support to patients.
Dr Mbamalu stated that this edition of Prime Business Africa Health and Business Series of Seminars is to highlight the courage and determination of those who have faced cancer problem.
He noted the role of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) in empowering organisations in Africa to address the challenges faced by patients through provision of mentorship opportunities to enhance their capacities and effectiveness and support individuals with cancer experience.
Another cancer survivor, Dr Abigail Simon-Hart, Co-founder The Bricon Foundation, emphasised that cancer patients and survivors should destigmatise and focus on managing the condition to live longer.
Dr Simon-Hart said she became passionate about cancer care advocacy after her experience of the disease. First was her mother who she said beat cancer four times and lived for 33 years and died after being diagnosed of leukaemia in 2013. Later in 2014, she was diagnosed with breast cancer but after successful mastectomy, she became cancer free.
She said The Bricon Foundation seeks to support cancer patients and their families through counselling, education and advocacy, and assistance with sourcing funds for treatment.
Dr Simon-Hart observed that there is still a significant level of stigmatisation of people suffering from cancer in developing countries like Nigeria, making them not to speak out, unlike in developed countries.
She called on NGOs working in the area of cancer care to conduct advocacy on the need to stop stigmatisation and encourage people to have positive attitude in managing the health challenge. She added that her experience with the disease made her have a purpose in life.
Emeritus Professor of Radiology and cancer care advocate, Ifeoma Okoye, expressed her excitement about the stories of cancer survivors and others with such experience to emulate. She remarked that the event equally offers opportunity to people who are not cancer patients or survivors to realise the need to live a healthy life.
Okoye, who is also an Adjunct Professor of Research and Innovation at the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), and Director of University of Nigeria, Nsukka Centre of Excellence for Clinical Trials, reiterated her call for people in Nigeria to see the need for health screening, especially for cancer as early detection is key.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
