Medicaid Cancer Foundation (MCF) has announced a N50 million Fund to be managed in partnership with Nigeria Cancer Society (NCS) to support indigent cancer patients and scientific research to advance cancer care in Nigeria.
According to the Foundation, the Fund will help to increase access to clinical cancer care services following diagnosis in Nigeria and advance the quality of cancer care through indigenous scientific research.
The Foundation as part of ongoing activities to ‘Close the Cancer Care Gap’ is committing funds to ease the catastrophic effect of cancer on patients and their loved ones in partnership with the Nigeria Cancer Society.
The Fund will support the treatment of indigent patients across the country through partner comprehensive cancer treatment facilities.
It will also support scientific research led by Nigerian scientist to advance the quality of cancer care management in Nigeria and on the African continent.
The growing number of cancer cases across Nigeria and barriers to treatment services gave birth to this partnership. The treatment of cancer, which includes surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, is vital to the curative management of most cancers.
However, cancer therapies are grossly inaccessible, limited, or non-existent to most cancer patients in Nigeria due to their high cost.
“MCF and NCS are committed to collaboratively changing this narrative, prioritizing Nigerians with no means of affording the care they desperately need and supporting scientific research that will optimize cancer management for Sub-Saharan Africans.
“We call for committed action from all actors in health service delivery; public and private, to increase cancer risk awareness across Nigeria. This is only a seed fund, we call on the private sector and well-meaning Nigerians to partner with the Nigerian Cancer Society to grow the cancer health fund and help provide quality cancer care to Nigerians. The partnership will benefit from technical partnerships with the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and the London Cancer Network.
“We are deeply honoured to be working with Nigeria Cancer Society to change the cancer narrative in Nigeria, complimenting the laudable efforts of the Federal Ministry of Health. Calls for proposals will be announced through the channels listed below”, the Foundation added.
●There are 124,815 new cancer cases in Nigeria every year
● 78,899 Nigerians will be lost to cancer in 2022, primarily from Breast, prostate, and cervical cancers
● Early Detection Saves Lives: diagnosis followed with access to quality cancer care.
For more information about Medicaid Cancer Foundation visit: http://medicaidcancerfoundation.org/
For more information about the Nigeria Cancer Society visit: https://cancernig.org/