The University of Ibadan Alumni Association says it will establish a cancer diagnostic centre to reduce the burden of the disease.
The president of the association, Prof. Elsie Adewoye, stated this in Ibadan on Saturday during a news conference to raise N2 billion for the establishment of the centre.
According to her, cancer is a worldwide disease with implications that require a synergy of intervention.
She stated that the essence of the news conference was to draw public awareness to the growing incidence of the disease in Nigeria.
Adewoye noted that the Global Burden of Disease Study in 2015 indicated that deaths due to cancer-related illness rose by 17 per cent between 2005 and 2015, with the projection of 68 per cent by 2030.
“In 2020, Prof. Isaac Adewole, former Vice-Chancellor of University of Ibadan and former Minister of Health, noted that cancer was responsible for 79,000 deaths in Nigeria, with new cases estimated at 125,000 annually.
“Data available reveal that five most prevalent cancers in the country are breast, prostate, cervical, colorectum, and lymphoma; out of these, breast and cervical cancers were singled out as being responsible for 32.4 per cent of all cancers,” she said.
Adewoye noted that some of the critical issues responsible for the growing rate of cancer were the cost of treatment and lack of access to medical facilities.
“Others are the absence of ontological and diagnostic centres in the country and absence of a clear-cut scientific explanation for the causes of cancer.
“We wish to seize this golden opportunity to call on all public-spirited people in Nigeria and beyond, organisations, institutions, agencies, commissions and churches to rise in solidarity with the University of Ibadan Alumni Association worldwide.
“We appeal to you all to support the association in its onerous but worthy quest of raising N2 billion for a cancer diagnostic centre at the University College Hospital, Ibadan.
(NAN)
