World Cancer Day 2024: Remi Tinubu calls for awareness, early detection and treatment

President Bola Tinubu’s wife, Oluremi Tinubu, has highlighted the need for corporate awareness of cancer for prevention, early detection and treatment.

The Nigerian first Lady said this in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by her special adviser on media, Busola Kukoyi, in commemoration of the year 2024 World Cancer Day (WCD).

“This year’s WCD presents an important opportunity to raise awareness and elaborate further the message of prevention, early detection and treatment of cancer.

“The theme for this year, “Closing the care gap,” speaks to the fact that we are to deepen our efforts in putting in place necessary infrastructure to address these health challenges towards better care for cancer patients and survivors.

“No one should have to face the challenges of cancer alone. Let us continue to show empathy, care, love, and support for cancer patients and survivors, even as we create more awareness and advocacy for better service delivery.”

According to the World Health Organization’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, “the cancer situation in Africa is disheartening. In the year 2020, approximately 1.1 million new cancer cases occurred on the continent, with around 700 000 deaths. About 50% of new cancer cases in adults in Africa are due to breast, cervical, prostate, colorectal, and liver cancers.

The UN health agency noted that “if urgent measures are not taken, cancer mortality in the region is projected to reach about one million deaths per year by 2030. Also, in 20 years, cancer death rates in Africa will overtake the global average of 30%. This is more so because cancer survival rates in the WHO African region currently average 12%, much lower than the average of over 80% in High-Income Countries.”