About 50% of corpses brought into Nigeria died from cancer – Minister

About 50 percent of corpses brought in from the Diaspora over certain period of time have been noted to have died from cancer, suggesting that 80 percent of cancer cases in Nigeria are curable.
Isaac Adewole, minister of health, said “cancer is a major problem in developing countries like Nigeria due to late presentation, and has been estimated that between 25 and 30 million people are living with cancer worldwide.
“The ministry database of all corpses brought into Nigeria showed that about 50 percent of them died from cancer related death, tracked by renal challenges, multiple cardiac challenges and trauma.”
Adewole said on Tuesday at a symposium on “Cancer in Nigeria’’ organised by the ministry in collaboration with health experts in the Diaspora and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos.
The minister further said that there were six major types of cancers in the country, which are breast, cervix, colorectal, prostate, liver, and lymphoma.
“We are developing a plan to address some of these challenges facing the menace of cancer. However, if we want to stop medical tourism and give life to our people, we need to address cancer,” the minister said.
The major aim of the symposium was to change the narrative of cancer in Nigeria by creating measures that would enhance the capacity to manage it.
He emphasised that, when we begin to change our lifestyle, by eating westernised foods, living a sedentary life, smoking, either primarily or secondarily, we are bound to face cancer as a challenge.
“When they are detected early, they can be cured, because most cancers, aside from breast cancer, it can be removed either by drugs, radiotherapy or surgeries. So, about 80 percent of cancers literally can be cured through prevention and early detection,” he said.

Anthonia Obokoh