As part of efforts to strengthen national response, the Federal Government has directed all public and private health facilities to report all diagnosed cancer cases in their facilities to the National Cancer Registry.
The government has also declared cancer as a notifiable disease and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Africa Cancer Registry Network (AfCRN) for the training and retraining of cancer registrars in the country.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Tunji Alausa, who disclosed this in a workshop on cancer registration in Abuja, said that the decision to make cancer a notifiable disease was informed by the alarming increase in cancer cases and deaths.
He said: “The declaration of cancer as a notifiable disease is a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to combat the growing burden of the disease. A notifiable disease is a disease that, when diagnosed, requires health providers to report it to state or local public health officials. Notifiable diseases are of public interest by reason of their contagiousness, severity, or frequency according to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC).”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, with approximately 127,000 new cases and 79,000 cancer-related deaths reported in Nigeria in 2022.
The minister explained that reporting cancer cases to the National Cancer Registry will enable the government to improve cancer surveillance, enhance early detection and treatment of cancer cases; improve the understanding of cancer epidemiology, informing evidence-based policy decisions and resource allocation.
The government will also develop targeted cancer control interventions, including screening programmes, treatment protocols, and palliative care services, as well as strengthen collaboration and coordination among healthcare providers, researchers, and policymakers to combat cancer.
Alausa further assured that the Health and Social Welfare Ministry will provide technical support and guidance to ensure a seamless reporting process. “The lack of accurate data on cancer incidence and prevalence has hindered our ability to effectively plan, implement, and evaluate cancer control interventions.
“By making cancer a notifiable disease, all private and public healthcare institutions in Nigeria are now obligated to report all cases of cancer they diagnose to the National Cancer Registry, hosted at the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT). This registry will serve as a central database for cancer cases, and provide vital information on cancer trends, patterns, and outcomes in Nigeria,” he added.
Earlier, the Director General, National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Prof Usman Aliyu, observed that improved cancer registration is critical in enhancing healthcare infrastructure, adding that it will bring about a better understanding of the prevalence of different types of cancer across regions, the demographics most affected, and effectiveness of current treatments and interventions.
Aliyu noted that accurate cancer registration serves as the foundation upon which effective healthcare policies and interventions are built and provides crucial data to understand the burden of cancer, identify trends, and ultimately, plan and allocate resources more effectively.
He said: “The importance of accurate cancer registration cannot be overstated. It serves as the foundation upon which effective healthcare policies and interventions are built. It provides us with crucial data to understand the burden of cancer, identify trends, and ultimately, plan and allocate resources more effectively.
“Without comprehensive and accurate data, our ability to combat this disease effectively is severely hampered. By collaborating across disciplines and organisations, we can create a unified approach that strengthens our healthcare system and improves outcomes for cancer patients nationwide.”
