…wants Nigerians to abstain from unhealthy lifestyles.
Nigerian Cancer Society NCS has called on Nigerians to abstain from unhealthy lifestyles and practices that can make them susceptible to develop cancer.
The Chairman, Nigerian Cancer Society NCS, Ekiti State Branch, Dr. Abidemi Omonisi made the call in Abuja, while speaking on 2023 World Cancer Day with the theme: “Close the Care Gap”.
Dr Omonisi who is the Head of Department of Anatomic Pathologist with Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital EKSUTH Ado-Ekiti, called for personal commitment of people where ever they may be residing around the world to help reduce the global burden of cancer through healthy eating, physical exercise, limiting or quitting alcohol, knowing about signs and symptoms of cancer and early detection.
Others are sharing stories about their cancer experience, support cancer patients and survivors with physical and emotional impacts, dispel rumours and myths that lead to stigma and discrimination against people with cancer.
The cancer expert mentioned that there was the need for government to put in place no smoking policies that would help people adopt healthy habits and call on the government to commit adequate resources to reduce cancer deaths and provide better quality of life for patients and survivors.
The member of the Research Committee Member of African Cancer Registry Network noted that Cancer is now a major public health problem worldwide and one of the leading causes of death globally.
Dr Omonisi highlighted some of the causes of cancer as cigarette smoking; infections such as Human immuno deficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B and C, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV); genetic factor; artificial ultraviolet radiations; undue exposure to sun’s ultraviolet rays particularly by Albinos; chemicals such as complex hydrocarbons, aromatic amines and certain heavy metals contained in some soaps used as skin bleaching soaps and some herbicides and pesticides.
He cautioned farmers to strictly adhere to the necessary precautionary measures when using herbicides and pesticides in their farmers.
According to him, world Cancer Day 2023 marks the second year of a new three-year campaign centred on the issue of equity.
This year is the second of the ‘Close the Care Gap’ campaign is all about Understanding and recognizing the inequities in cancer care around the globe.It’s about having an open mind, challenging assumptions and looking at the hard facts:inequity in cancer care costs lives.People who seek cancer care hit barriers at every turn. Income, education, location and discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability and lifestyle are just a few of the factors that can negatively affect care.
The gap affects everyone, including you and your loved ones.
These barriers are not cast on stones.
“They can be changed by question the status quo and help reduce stigma; to listen to the perspectives of the people living with cancer and their communities and let those lived experiences guide our thoughts and actions”
“That is how we can begin to imagine a better way of doing things and to build a fairer vision as the future, a future where people live healthier lives and have better access to health and cancer services,no matter where they are born, grow,age, work or live”
“We know that every single one of us has the ability to make a difference, large or small, and that together we can make real progress in reducing the global impact of cancer”
Dr.Omonisi further gave a background why the Union for International Cancer Control on 4th february, 2000 at the World Summit Against Cancer in Paris started to mark World Cancer Day on every 4th february of each year.
He stated that the main goal of marking World Cancer Day is to provide a platform for researchers, health care professionals, patients, governments, industries, non- governmental organizations, individuals and the media to build an invincible alliance against cancer and its greatest allies which are fear, ignorance and complacency.
He further explained that on World Cancer Day, people and organizations around the world unite to raise awareness about cancer and work to make it a global health priority, saying the internationally Agency for Research on Cancer that globally, 1 in 5 people develop cancer during their lifetime, and 1 in 8 men and 1 in 11 Women die from the disease.
These new estimates suggest that more than 50 million people are living within five years of a past cancer diagnosis.
Ageing populations globally and socio-economic risk factors remain among the primary factors driving this increase.
He said we are all affected one way or the other by cancer. We have relatives, friends, colleagues, members of our various communities who have died, diagnosed and even treated for cancer but he further stated that we have the power to reduce its impacts on ourselves, the people we love and the wider world.
Dr. Omonisi who is also the founding & pioneer Director of Ekiti Cancer Registry stated that Ekiti Cancer Registry has made tremendous contribution in reducing the global cancer burden through the provision of high quality data for the publication of Cancer in Nigeria, Cancer in Sub –Saharan Africa Vol.III, data from the registry was used by Ekiti State Ministry of Health in 2021 as the basis for the development of the Ekiti Cancer Control Plan & Policy, used by researchers for publication of articles on cancer in both local and international journals.
“As a Cancer Researcher and the Principal Investigator of Transatlantic Prostate Cancer Familial Project (CaPTC) Ekiti State Site, also the National Coordinator for the African Hepato Pancreato Biliary Cancer Consortium ( AHPBCC) in Nigeria, also stated that cancer researches on prostate, breast, gastrointestinal and cervical cancers are currently on-going in Ekiti State”
The member of the Ministerial Technical Committee for Cancer Prevention and Control in Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja commended the Federal Government of Nigeria for establishing and funding the Cancer Health Fund (CHF), equipping some federal teaching hospitals with the state-of-the-art facilities for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer cases, and just a few days ago, the President of the Federal Government of Nigeria appointed the pioneer Director of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment in Nigeria.
“All these positive interventions will go a long way in closing the cancer care gap through the reduction in the burden of treating cancer in Nigeria”
He finally stated that all stakeholders must be committed in bringing the current cancer burden to a barest minimum.