The Minister of State, Health and Social welfare, Prof Iziaq Adekunle Salako says the federal government has finalised plans to establish and upgrade six federal teaching hospitals with new radiotherapy and nuclear medicine facilities across the country.
He stated this Tuesday in Abuja during the commemoration of the World Cancer Day, organised by the ministry in collaboration with other partners.
He said three of the centers are planned to be commissioned in May, 2025 and the remaining three will be commissioned on or before the 2026 World Cancer Day.
He said, “We intend to sustain this initiative throughout the life span of this administration so that before 2030, every part of this country would have been equipped to treat all forms of cancers. This is our unique strategy to attain the WHO global target of eliminating cervical cancer and other preventable cancers by the year 2030.”
He called on all Nigerians to unite against cancer by taking personal actions for prevention and early diagnosis.
The minister said ,the World Health Organization (WHO), has sent a memorandum to the ministry conveying the inclusion of Nigeria as a focus country for Global initiative for Childhood Cancers (GICC).
The director general of Nigeria Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Dr. Usman Malami Aliyu, said as the nation’s leading institution in cancer control, NICRAT has made significant strides in implementing the National Strategic Cancer Control Plan 2023–2027.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Country Representative and Head of Mission to Nigeria , Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo said the theme for this year’s commemoration “United by Unique” highlights that everyone’s cancer experience is unique, but people can come together to fight cancer.