By Haruna Gimba
The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, said 40 per cent of cancer cases can be prevented in Nigeria, if people can change their sedentary lifestyles.
The minister made the assertion while addressing newsmen at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos when he
inspected a new cancer treatment centre at the hospital.
He said that cancer prevention could be achieved when people change their lifestyles, especially the way they move around, sleep, eat, what they drink and majorly, staying away from tobacco.
“The main purpose of investing in this cancer treatment centre is to treat more people in the country, rather than travelling out for treatment. Also, the best place to treat patients is when they are among their people and seeing their relations every day.
Professor Adewole said there is a plan by the federal government to replicate the centre in many health institutions across the country.
According to the minister, apart from the Cancer Treatment Centre, Federal Ministry of Health had also flagged off the basic healthcare provision fund.
“The main reason is to provide resource from the federal down to all the state facilities and also to the local government level.
“We will also be providing some free basic services to the people such as immunisation services, delivery services, tuberculosis services, checking of blood pressure, urine test and treatment of under five children.
“We will also be partnering with the state governments by making sure that the state provides infrastructure, while the Federal Government provides money to maintain it.
“We are also moving ahead by producing adequate doctors in all health facilities, retain our health professionals by providing necessary equipment, funds and also attract many doctors back to Nigeria. “Our major main aim is to ensure people access to quality healthcare in 2019,” Adewole said.
