FG COMMENCES NO-COST CANCER SCREENING CAMPAIGN IN EBONYI
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By: Fasasi Hammad
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, alongside his team, launched a free cancer screening programme on Wednesday at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital (AEFUTHA) in Abakaliki, targeting the first 1,000 participants.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Daju Kachollom, the Minister explained that the initiative forms part of nationwide activities to mark the 2026 World Cancer Day, noting that cancer claims nearly 10,000 lives in Nigeria annually.
He highlighted that patients identified during the screenings would receive follow-up treatment, emphasizing that early detection saves lives, reduces financial burdens on families, and boosts national productivity.
“Under the current administration, we are reinforcing healthcare services, expanding health insurance coverage, improving access to diagnostic facilities, supporting local pharmaceutical production, and modernizing tertiary healthcare institutions,” he stated.
The Minister added that the programme also launches capacity-building sessions for healthcare workers, focusing on treatment protocols, chemotherapy safety, and pain management. He praised partnering agencies and Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Francis Nwifuru, for providing a supportive environment for the initiative.
Prof. Robinson Onoh, Chief Medical Director of AEFUTHA, said the event commemorates World Cancer Day and transforms the hospital into a centre for medical tourism, serving Ebonyi residents, Nigerians from other states, and international patients.
He explained that the programme seeks to raise awareness and promote early detection of the most common cancers—breast, cervical, and prostate—while providing training for healthcare professionals.
Healthcare providers under the National Comprehensive Cancer Network will be trained using standardised guidelines on pain management. The programme also incorporates primary prevention measures such as health education, public awareness campaigns, vaccination, and screening, highlighting that roughly one in five Nigerians will develop cancer in their lifetime.
“Ebonyi State was selected to represent the South-East zone for World Cancer Day, with AEFUTHA offering free screenings for 1,000 individuals,” Onoh said, commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his Renewed Hope Agenda and health sector interventions, as well as the state government for enabling health initiatives.
Governor Nwifuru, represented by Deputy Governor Mrs. Patricia Obila, thanked the Federal Government for choosing Ebonyi for the event and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to quality healthcare. He highlighted efforts including the revitalisation of 13 general hospitals and improvements in healthcare personnel welfare.
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