NCS urges better cancer care in primary health services
Abidemi Omonisi, President of the Nigerian Cancer Society, has called for stronger integration of cancer prevention and care into Nigeria’s primary healthcare system. He emphasized that government interventions are mostly focused on urban areas, leaving rural communities and internally displaced persons with limited access. The NCS is working to address these gaps through free cancer screening projects and plans to deploy mobile screening vans nationwide. Omonisi stressed the need for collective action from all sectors to improve cancer care and outcomes.
Highlights
- Abidemi Omonisi urged authorities to extend cancer services to rural communities and internally displaced persons.
- The NCS is sourcing funds to deploy mobile cancer screening and treatment vans across the six geopolitical zones.
- He highlighted ongoing challenges such as late presentation, high costs, shortages in oncology services, and a need for more trained health workers.
- Achievements listed include increased awareness, expansion of cancer registries, and establishment of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment.
- Omonisi called for policymakers and partners to prioritize cancer control and encouraged young people to adopt healthy lifestyles, vaccination, and early screening.
