FIRST LADIES AGAINST CANCER (FLAC) HOST MAIDEN DINNER, CALL FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
By Trek Africa Newspaper
A coalition of NGOs run by wives of former and current Governors, the First Ladies Against Cancer (FLAC) has hosted the maiden FLAC Dinner. The event was attended by HE Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo wife of the Vice President, top government officials and important stakeholders in the cancer space and held at the Transcop Hilton Abuja on Tuesday, 19/10/2021. It’s main aim was to galvanise action in Cancer Control in Nigeria.
The First Ladies who have been engaged in high level advocacy have been at the forefront of pushing the agenda of a sustainable National Cancer Control Plan. Recently due to the efforts of the FLAC Nigeria Joined some developed countries to pioneer the WHO’s Global Strategy For Elimination of Cervical Cancer.
The First Lady of Kebbi state and Founder Medicaid Cancer Foundation, H.E Dr Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu who made the call to action over dinner, decried a global inequality in access to HPV Vaccinations which makes women in LMICs more susceptible to Cervical cancer. She further complained of inadequate access to diagnosis and treatment attributable to a lack of targeted clinical trials.
Dr Bagudu made the following calls
1. Institutionalization of a National Institute for Cancer which has been approved by President Buhari since 2017.
2. A pilot National Cancer Screening for Breast, Cervical and Prostate.
3. Resumption of Nigeria’s National Cancer Control Plan for 2023-2027.
4. The use of COVID-19 infrastructures for human papilloma virus vaccination.
5. The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) should urgently explore partnerships to acquire a patent to available HPV Vaccines such as China’s CECOLIN.
6. The immediate release, distribution and implementation of solutions of the NHIS survey on cancer.
Earlier, the Chairperson of the coalition and the First Lady of Niger State, H.E Dr Amina Abubakar Bello said Cancer is killing indigenes, bankrupting families and also impacting the education of children and overall national development. She added that some 3 preventable cancers have taken the lives of about 78,000 Nigerians and that has informed the decision to forge a common front to support each other’s work in cancer control.
She identified FLAC as a platform that can take cancer control to state and local levels hence they have been working with their husbands to institute a cancer control plan.
In her goodwill message, the wife of the Vice President, H.E Dolapo Osibanjo reiterated the need for more attention to cancer control in Nigeria. She commended the First Ladies for their efforts and pledged more support.
Chairman of Governors Forum, Ekiti state Governor H.E Fayemi Kayode who was represented by the Governor of Niger state H.E Abubakar Sani Bello pledged the support of the Governors forum in the fight.
Also speaking the Governor of Kebbi state and Chairman Progressive Governors Forum, H.E Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu in his address encouraged advocacy to push for equipment manufacturers to make facilities more affordable to healthcare providers through favorable payment conditions. He called on the National Assembly to amend Financial accounting and reporting to help companies who are not into health services to see opportunities in investing in healthcare.
Governor Bagudu commended the First Ladies for drawing attention to the need for the cancer fund and also encouraged FLAC to lead engagement with International Finance Corporation which is the private sector arm of the World Bank.
In a series of Goodwill messages, representatives of partner organizations including ROCHE, CHAI, Dangote Foundation, AORTIC, National Assembly rep, Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu amongst others commended the First Ladies for their efforts and promised more support to their common cause.
