A Non Governmental Organisation, Children with Cancer Intervention Initiative (CCII) has urged the government at all levels across Nigeria to support various initiatives and collaborate with registered organisations and centres for effective cancer management and other preventive measures aimed at addressing the disease rising cases in the country.

It explained that such collaboration with government would ensure comparing of notes and statistics with several government’s agencies that can aid mass testing and early detection of cancers such that would allow immediate management and treatment of the disease in the country.

As stated, early testing and other preventive mechanisms, including awareness campaigns and sensitization had been proved worldwide to be effective in reducing spread of the disease and that such can also be replicated in full scale in Nigeria with support from governments across board.

The CCII Director, Honor Onyebuchukwu, flanked by Akin Opayinka Coordinator and Osas Igbinedion, Administrative officer said that the call for support from governments had become imperative after the outbreak of coronavirus in Nigeria which its economic effect had also impacted on NGOs and reduced their capacities to ensure effective treatment and management of the disease.

She lamented that the resultant effect of the dwindling economic fortune which led to decrease in the NGOs response was the surge in cases of cancers being recorded daily among Nigerians and globally.

Through a statement she personally made available to The Guild in commemoration of this year’s World Cancer Day, Onyebuchukwu said that since treatment of the killer disease cost fortune and was beyond reach of ordinary Nigerians, the need by governments to support treatment and management of cancers in Nigeria cannot be overemphasised.

She added that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisation had not relent in its programmes and had been following the laid downs guidelines of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) which appealed that organisations and centers must do all within their powers in ensuring the pandemic does not dampen the spirit of cancer management globally.

“The world cancer body still believes in partnering with, and encouraging governments around the world to invest in cancer control and be innovative in their approach so that they can better understand their cancer burden, and improve on prevention, early detection and treatment of the scourge. This is the same policy direction that CCII believes in.

“The World Cancer Day 2021 therefore is essentially to show the innovative responses of the cancer organizations around the world to the pandemic as they continue with efforts to maintain progress in cancer care even in this difficult season,” the statement said.

She added that the cancer global body would also be holding a summit in October where participants would dwell on how innovative approaches can facilitate continued care for people with cancer in furtherance of efforts aimed at responding properly and broadly to the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic on cancer services and Health system globally.

“In CCII, our objective is to localise these efforts of the world body in our nation Nigeria. And our modus operandi is advocacy in every form of it. This we believe, God helping us, we shall continue to do until the myth of cancer is destroyed in our generation,” the statement added.