By VICTORIA OJEME
THE Federal Government   has paid  US$9 million (N1.44 billion) counterpart funding in  its collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the treatment of cancer.

Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi  Chukwu, who disclosed this weekend stated: “Three comprehensive cancer screening centers were established at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH, National Obstetric Fistula Centre, Abakaliki and Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Gusau. They are equipped with mammography machines, Cryoprobe systems and ultra sound.

“The Technical partnership with the  IAEA, is ongoing and government has paid the sum for  procurement of cancer treating equipment,”  he added.

He said by 2015, six tertiary health institutions  will all have  radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine facilities to manage cancer effectively.

Funding in cancer specific institutions would focus on primary prevention of preventable cancers through immunisation with Human Papilloma Virus, HPV, vaccine and Hepatitis B vaccine for cervical and liver cancer prevention, the plan is also to incorporate the HPV vaccine into the National Programme on Immunisation, a  strategy that will prevent 40 percent of cancers. Last year, 300 indigent girls were immunised at the launch of the HPV vaccine.

LASG to establish cancer policy
By CHIOMA OBINNA
IRKED by the rising incidences of cancer in the country, Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Health, Dr Yewande Adesina, attributed cancer burden in Nigeria on underreporting, lack of appropriate diagnosis limited access to care, differences in technical manpower and infrastructure and quality of cancer data systems, noting that the 2012 theme of the World cancer day, emphasises the need to know that it is only by every person, organisation and government individually doing their part that the world will be able to reduce premature deaths from cancer and other non-communicable diseases to 25 per cent by 2025.

Adesina who hinted that the state was coming up with a cancer policy said it would cover all areas of management of cancer, provide guidelines for all stakeholders in the treatment and management of the disease including awareness creation, prevention among others.

Chairman, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Olayinka. Abosede, decried  the practice of market men/women putting orange dye on shrimps to make saying  such dye was inedible and may pre-dispose consumers to cancer.

“People selling carrots wash them with detergent to make them attractive to buyers, others use carbide to ripen fruits. When people consume such things, they are pre-disposed to cancer,” she said.

She urged people with family history of cancer to take extra care to avoid such smoke and fumes and called for avoidance of the abuse of alcohol.

“If a person is smoking near you, move away because you are taking in more of the smoke than even the person that is smoking. It is passive smoking.”