FG to partner NSIA on radiotherapy equipment procurement
The Nigerian Federal Government is implementing excellent measures to improve cancer care in the country.
The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and the Nigerian Federal Government are working together to establish a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the acquisition and maintenance of radiation equipment in cancer facilities across the country.
This programme seeks to tackle the urgent requirement for enhanced availability of radiation treatments, which are indispensable for the treatment of cancer patients.
Aliyu, speaking on behalf of Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Health, stated during the workshop that the NSIA-Lagos University Teaching Hospital cancer clinic had the most advanced cancer equipment in the country.
The Federal Government intends to duplicate the capabilities of this facility in other facilities.Aliyu stated that this action aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s instruction to enhance the six cancer facilities located in the six geopolitical zones of the nation.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, expressed his intention to duplicate the practices observed in LUTH throughout all other areas of the country.He observed that the prevalence of cancer in Nigeria is steadily rising, which poses a substantial risk to the overall health and well-being of the population.
According to the 2022 Global Cancer Observatory report, there were 127,763 newly diagnosed cancer cases and 79,542 deaths from cancer in Nigeria.
By Nnaemeka Odenigbo
