About 40,000 Nigerian children reportedly diagnosed with cancer every year – Foundation
The Chief Executive Officer, Medicaid Cancer Foundation and First lady of Kebbi State, Zainab-Shinkafi Bagudu revealed that about 40,000 Nigerian children live with different types of cancer in the country every year.
The wife of the governor made this comment in Abuja, the country capital on Tuesday at this year’s childhood cancer month roundtable which was organised by the foundation.
According to the first lady, the cure rate of cancer in Nigeria children was about 85 percent.
She added that about 80 percent of the cases in the country and other low-income nations lead to deaths as it is not the case in the high income countries.
She explained, “The cancer burden in the country and globally was under-documented as the number of diagnosed cases exceeded the estimated number.”
The First lady was of the belief that the growing index of suspicion by clinicians and the building of more physicians in that field was the solution to tackle childhood cancer in the country.
Dr Adewunmi Oyesakin, the head of unit, Pediatrics Oncology, National Hospital, Abuja, revealed that about 400, 000 to 500, 000 children are affected by cancer every year, with a lot of them in developing countries and sub-Saharan Africa.
