By Eunice Okomudo
Cancer conversations are often centred on diagnosis, treatment and survival. Yet, behind every statistic is a human story, and behind every effort to improve cancer outcomes is a need for stronger health systems, better research, informed policies and a community willing to stand with those affected.
This was one of the important reflections I took away from International Cancer Week (ICW) 2026, a three-day programme organised by the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), which brought together stakeholders from different fields to discuss cancer and the future of cancer care in Nigeria.
I attended the programme not only to learn but also to contribute in a practical way. Following an engagement with Professor Aminu Magashi Garba, Founder and Coordinator of the Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN),
I was joined by my two sisters, Joy Okomudo and Diana Okomudo, to support the programme’s social media documentation and digital engagement efforts.
Our task was simple in description but meaningful in practice: document key moments, capture important messages from speakers and transform selected statements into visual content that could be shared with audiences beyond the conference venue.
Over the three days, Joy and Diana supported photography and event documentation, while I worked on identifying and documenting key quotations, designing graphics and editing the content for submission to NICRAT’s social media team. By the end of the programme, we had produced 20 branded content cards featuring selected messages from speakers and stakeholders.
The experience taught me that communication is an important part of public health advocacy. A conference may bring experts, policymakers and advocates into one room, but its lessons should not end when participants leave. Documenting key messages and making them accessible online creates opportunities for more people to encounter the discussions, reflect on them and share them with others.
Taking Healthcare Closer to the People
One of the messages that particularly stood out to me came from Emeritus Professor Ifeoma Okoye, Professor of Radiology at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and founder of Breast Without Spots. Speaking about equity in healthcare, she said:
“Equity is not building one more center in the city and waiting for the village to come… It’s taking the care to the places people already are.”
This statement captured an important challenge in healthcare delivery: access is not simply about the existence of facilities. It is also about whether people can reach services, afford care and receive appropriate support where they live.
For a country as diverse as Nigeria, improving cancer outcomes requires deliberate attention to the barriers that prevent people from accessing timely diagnosis and treatment. Healthcare services must be designed with the realities of communities in mind, particularly those who face geographical, financial and other barriers to care.
Research, Policy and the Need for Action
Another important theme throughout the programme was the relationship between research, policy and practical action. Professor Abdulkadir Sarki Abba, Professor of Urology and Pathology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, who was the keynote speaker of the event, emphasised the importance of locally relevant evidence when he stated:
“Research always pays – you cannot translate what you do not understand. Nigeria needs evidence from it’s own patients.”
This message reinforced the importance of research that reflects the experiences and needs of Nigerian patients. Evidence generated within our own context can help inform decisions, improve understanding of local health challenges and support interventions that are responsive to the population.
Similarly, Hon. Amos Gwamna Magaji, Chairman of the Federal House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare, highlighted the need to reduce the financial burden of cancer treatment, stressing the importance of ensuring that out-of-pocket payments are significantly reduced in Nigeria.
These messages point to a shared responsibility. Research must inform policy, policy must translate into action, and healthcare financing must enable people to access the services they need without being pushed into financial hardship. The challenge is not simply to identify what needs to change, but to build the systems and commitment required to make that change possible.
Cancer Care Is Also About People
Beyond research and healthcare financing, the conversations at ICW also drew attention to the human experience of cancer. Her Excellency, Barrister Chioma Uzodimma, Chairperson of First Ladies Against Cancer (FLAC), offered a powerful reminder about survivorship:
“Survivorship cannot be left to the hospitals alone – it needs a human community. Love and Presence are also medicine. No survivor in this country has to heal alone!”
Cancer care does not end when a patient leaves the hospital. Survivors and their families may continue to navigate emotional, social and practical challenges long after treatment. Supportive communities, compassionate relationships and appropriate follow-up care are therefore important parts of the broader cancer care journey.
This perspective challenges us to think beyond treatment alone and consider how families, communities, institutions and advocates can contribute to the well-being of people affected by cancer. It also reinforces the importance of placing patients and survivors at the centre of decisions that affect them.
The Power of Small Contributions
My role at ICW was not to deliver a presentation or lead a panel discussion. It was to listen, document and communicate. Yet, the experience helped me appreciate that meaningful contributions to public health advocacy can take different forms. While some people shape policy, conduct research or deliver clinical care, others help ensure that important messages are documented and communicated to wider audiences.
Through the 20 branded content cards produced by our team, we sought to preserve selected messages from the programme in a format suitable for digital communication. The materials were submitted to NICRAT’s social media team for dissemination through its official digital platforms.
This activity was made possible with the support of the Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), whose support enabled our team to provide social media documentation and digital engagement throughout the three-day programme.
This experience also made me more conscious of the responsibility involved in communicating public health messages. Quotes must be accurately attributed, context must be respected, and information must be presented in a way that is accessible without losing its meaning.
Digital communication is not merely about posting photographs or creating attractive graphics. When approached thoughtfully, it can help connect people with ideas, draw attention to important issues and support the wider work of advocacy.
Looking Beyond International Cancer Week
My experience at ICW 2026 left me with a broader appreciation of the different contributions required to strengthen cancer control in Nigeria. Improving cancer outcomes requires collaboration across research, healthcare delivery, financing, policymaking, advocacy and community engagement. It also requires us to recognise that the conversations happening in professional spaces should reach the people whose lives and decisions are affected by them.
For me, the three days were an opportunity to learn from experienced professionals, observe the range of issues shaping cancer care and contribute to the communication of important messages.
As Nigeria continues to strengthen its cancer control efforts, I hope to see greater investment not only in research and treatment but also in community engagement, accessible health information and the communication strategies that help bridge the gap between knowledge and public understanding.
Ultimately, the value of a gathering like International Cancer Week should not be measured only by what happens within its walls, but also by the conversations it inspires, the decisions it informs and the lives its collective efforts help improve. Sometimes, extending that impact begins with something as simple as listening carefully, capturing a meaningful message and ensuring that it reaches someone who needs to hear it.
About the Author
Eunice Okomudo is a youth, health and gender advocate with interests in public health communication, research and community engagement. She serves as Secretary of the Youth Engagement Committee of the Stakeholders Summit on Cervical Cancer Elimination Nigeria and Deputy Secretary of the Community Engagement Committee of the National Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination. She is also a volunteer with the Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN).
