Niger Govt. To Embark On Massive Revolution Against Cancer

By Hammed Salawu, Minna

The Niger state government is to screen at least 1million cancer patients and treat 20 diagnosed cases annually for the next five years, ROYAL NEWS has gathered.

This is the major plank of a  N400million tripartite Memorandum of Understanding MoU signed between the state government, Roche products Limited and RAISE foundation in Minna the state capital on Thursday.

Under the agreement signed for the state government by the Commissioner for Health Dr Mustapha Jibrin, Country Representatives of Roche Products Limited Dr Hammid Oladipo and founder of Raise foundation and wife of the Niger state governor Dr Amina Sani Bello, Niger state government would provide 30% of the total cost while Roche Limited would make available the balance.

The MoU also had a long term goal of establishing ” a functional Cancer center which would be self sustaining ” and possibly a revenue generation unit for the state”.

Speaking after signing the MoU  for Raise foundation, Dr Amina Sani Bello described the event as ” historical ” because it was only Niger state that had taken such initiative in Nigeria.

Dr Bello lamented that Cancer care in Nigeria was in a terribly bad shape because of the 6 cancer treatment centres in the country only one was functioning whereas the country had enough highly trained personnel to handle such patients.

She advised the officials of the Ministry of Health who would be in charge of the implementation of  MoU ” to ensure there is no road blocks, if there will be challenges they should not be man made”.

Country representative of Roche Products Limited  Dr Hamid Oladipo the organisation would also provide capacity and capability building for stakeholders in the state.

Niger state Commissioner for Health  Dr Mustapha Jibrin in his address however disclosed that it cost between N5m and N20m to treat one cancer patient which was why it usually had catastrophic effect on the patient.

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