Guardian

THE situation is so pathetic! People (including the rich and the poor) die in droves on a daily basis, succumbing to the brutality of this endemic and one of the world’s deadliest diseases, cancer virus. And as no substantial response aimed at tackling the scourge, is not yet recorded, many Nigerian cancer sufferers, especially the downtrodden ones appear to be literarily condemned to deaths! But at an event commemorating World Cancer Survivors Day this week, stakeholders, under the aegis of Committee Encouraging Coprate Philanthropy, unveiled their of aggressive but comprehensive plans to tame the ravaging disease that sends 80,000 Nigerians to their early graves annually.  BANKOLE SHAKIRUDEEN ADESHINA writes.

THE tolls keep soaring everyday, as the country losses a sizeable portion of its finest brains to one of the world’s deadliest diseases, cancer virus.

From the former President of the country, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (lung cancer); to former Vice President, General Augustus Aikhomu (prostrate cancer); former Chairman of National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Pa Anthony Enahoro; human right lawyer, Chief Ganiyu Faweyinmi (lung cancer); former Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Dr Abel Guobadia; Kwara State elder statesman, Dr. Olusola Saraki (prostrate); Baba Adinni of Nigeria, Alhaji Iyanda Folawiyo; and the former Minister of Commerce and Chairman, Guardian Newspaper Limited, Dr Alex Ibru among others, cancer keeps falling the best of Nigerian people.

The quoted names are even exclusive of prominent women and adults who have suffered the same brutal faiths in the hands of this disease. Popular among Nigerian women who have succumbed death due to protracted cancer illness are: former first lady of Nigeria, Hajia Mariam Babangida (breast cancer); wife of the Delta State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, Mrs. Clara Oshiomole (breast cancer); Akwa Ibom former first lady, Allinson Attah (breast cancer); with the latest victim being the former deputy governor of Ekiti State, late Mrs. Olufunmilayo Olayinka (breast cancer).

The figures are alarming and a clear justification of the aggression of the new volunteers, described as selected cancer ambassadors in Nigeria to drive the campaign to all nooks and crannies of the country, sensitizing the people on the imperativeness of constant health checks, absolute abandonment of unhealthy lifestyle and early reportage of cancer to the nearest medical center.

For instance, statistics show that in Nigeria, 10,000 Nigerians people are diagnosed of the disease annually among whom 80,000 will die eventually due to the nation’s low survivorship chances, which is pegged at 20 per cent.

By implication, Nigeria’s 20 per cent survivorship chances against cancer further means that more than 240 Nigerians are lost to the endemic disease on a daily basis, at the rate of 10 people per hour!

Because of late detection, due to persistent refusal to go for medical checks in other to avoid public stigmatization on discovery and most especially, absence of comprehensive cancer treatment centers, medical experts explain that in every five diagnosed cancer cases in Nigeria, four among the sufferers will die.

This development contradicts what is obtainable in other countries, where serious actions are being taken to tackle a scourge as deadly as cancer.

For instance, in the United States of America, figure show that Cancer Survivorship Chances are above 90 per cent, meaning in every five diagnosed cases, four people have better tendencies to be adequately treated and live to the fullest of their live span. The same is said of India.

The remarkable feats recorded by the two countries in combating cancer are the consequence of relentless investments in high-level research and the procurement of sophisticated and specialized medical equipments and establishment of treatment centers.

While Nigeria has no single dedicated cancer treatment center, America has about  1000, with over 2000 mobile treatment centers to compliment. The same is said of India, a country, which, for instance, has more than 125 comprehensive cancer treatment centers with five concentrating in one city, Mumbai.

According to expert, the cost of establishing a comprehensive cancer center is approximately put at over $30million.

To address the unfortunate situation and prevent the spillover of the preventable deaths, concerned Nigerians, under the aegis of Committee for Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) gathered last Sunday, June 2nd, to unveil their comprehensive plans to address the challenge to the press.

Being the first non-working day of the week, a Sunday, many people would have loved to spend the day in their private closet for either religious activities, family bonding, resting, outing and or to perfect all plans preparatory to another tasking week ahead.

But at exactly 2pm this Sunday afternoon, June 2, these concerns groups, including some highly referred Nigerians, were gathered at the banquet hall of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), Victoria Island Lagos to discuss one topic: Cancer virus and its survivorship tendencies!

This obligation will see CECP and all its partners to solicit for funds up to the tune of, for a state, the sum of N95million for the acquisition of a mobile cancer treatment center that would be exclusively dedicated for grassroot people.

The mobile center would be a highly technical all-inclusive medical truck, equipped with sophisticated medical technologies to cater for cancer sufferers. The medical infrastructure would be operated by world-class oncologists and medical laboratory scientists.

The need to begin the campaign, from the grassroot, was born out of the conviction that there are outrageous unrecorded cancer deaths at the rural areas because of ignorance and inability to access sound medical treatment on discovery.

Specifically, the stakeholders, in a popular social solidarity slogan, echoed that ENOUGHISENOUGH, pushing for a resolution for all well-meaning Nigerians to ‘Act Now’ by supporting the crusade against the disease.

They insisted that it would amount to a conclusion that Nigerians are condemned to deaths, if a disease, breast cancer, for instance, that has survivorship chances of above 95 per cent in countries like America and India, can be killing as Nigerian women in droves.

“ Among these women could be our mother, wife, sister and loved ones,” the technical adviser to CECP on the Cancer Project, Mrs. Clare Omatseye said at the occasion.

Record show that while 30 women die of breast cancer everyday n Nigeria, there is 99 per cent survivor chances for the same disease in the United States of America, with frantic efforts by oncologists and medical laboratory scientists and researchers in forging a new path to achieving a 100 per cent stamp-out.

Interestingly, even without a 100 per cent feat against breast cancer in India and America, the 90 per cent survivorship chances could still mean that that in every five cases, four can be efficaciously treated and live a normal healthy live for as long as possible.

But India and America’s success stories in cancer combat were not achieved by strings of lucks. They are actually the reward of relentless medical researches, backed by substantial funding from both government, corporate organisations and other stakeholders in devising sophisticated medical infrastructures to eradicate or maximally manage the disease.

Although Nigeria’s government may not have a serious plan for this investment, concerned stakeholders, including survivors of the disease, victims’ relatives and many volunteers have taken up an aggressive campaign against the scourge.

Under the initiative, about 150 names of prominent Nigerians, caught across all sectors, have been shortlisted at the special anti-cancer ambassadors who will be spreading the campaign across the nooks and crannies of the federation.