FG Urged To Subsidize Cancer Treatment Amid Rising Cases

The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to subsidize the cost of cancer treatment in Nigeria, citing the increasing burden on patients and the escalating public health crisis.

This resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by member representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in Oyo State, Aderemi Oseni, at plenary.

Leading the debate, the lawmaker who emphasized that cancer treatment can cost patients millions of naira or even hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, depending on the type and stage of the disease noted that approximately 125,000 Nigerians were diagnosed with cancer in 2020, with breast, prostate, and cervical cancers among the most prevalent.

Oseni also expressed concern over the limited access to cancer medications and the insufficient number of radiation therapy machines across the country, rendering treatment inaccessible for many Nigerians.

Adopting the motion, the House mandated its Committee on Healthcare Services to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Health to develop a subsidy scheme that would ease the financial burden of cancer treatment on citizens.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji