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Stakeholders advocating for effective cancer treatment have urged governments at all levels to provide free treatment for childhood cancer in all public hospitals.
This appeal was made on Saturday in Abuja during a program organized by the non-governmental organization, Ndiassam Foundation, in honor of the 2025 Childhood Cancer Day, celebrated annually on February 15. The theme of the event is “Addressing the myth on childhood cancer.”
The stakeholders emphasized that making childhood cancer treatment free at all government hospitals would alleviate the financial burden on parents. Dr. Ifeoma Ezeukwu, a Paediatric Hemato-Oncologist at the Federal Medical Centre in Abuja, highlighted that funding is the primary challenge hindering healthcare workers from treating cancer patients effectively.
“The primary issue healthcare providers face in caring for these children is funding. Financial constraints are significant in this region. Managing cancer care requires substantial financial resources from parents. Even the diagnostic process to initiate treatment is often inaccessible; however, with government support, many burdens could be alleviated for parents. We demand that pediatric cancer treatment be provided at no cost.
Implementing this change will relieve parents of significant financial stress. Children should also benefit from the National Health Insurance program.
"The insurance should cover children's treatment for cancer, ensuring that medications and all aspects of their care are included under the National Health Insurance for free. Children diagnosed with cancer should have access to the Cancer Health Fund (CHF),” she asserted.
She pointed out that some children are genetically predisposed to cancer. Ezeukwu also noted that childhood cancer lacks definitive symptoms and can manifest similarly to other illnesses, like typhoid, malaria, or fever.
She stressed that advocacy is crucial for raising awareness about childhood cancer, urging that all media platforms should be utilized to disseminate this information.
The Interim Chairman of the Nigeria Cancer Society's FCT Branch, Popoola Olayiwola, called for ongoing innovation in childhood cancer treatment.
An oncologist, Olayinka, mentioned that the most significant recent advancement in treating childhood cancer is the climarinantigin receptor cells therapy, which uses cells from the immune system.
He explained, “The process involves identifying specific immune cells that are capable yet weak; these cells are harvested, re-engineered in a laboratory to enhance their strength, and then returned to the children. This method has yielded promising results. Currently, this approach appears to be the future of managing many types of cancer, showing effectiveness particularly in certain leukemias, with trials ongoing for other childhood cancers.”
The Volunteer Communications Manager for Ndiassam Foundation, Ndikka Ekere, called on the government to collaborate with NGOs that advocate for cancer treatment to enhance awareness of childhood cancer, noting that many remain unaware of its existence.
He stated that statistics from the World Health Organization regarding the incidence of cancer among children and adolescents prompted Ndiassam to elevate awareness about this critical issue.
