The National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) has urged the integration of cancer screening into family planning services at Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Ebonyi State, as part of efforts to promote early detection and reduce cancer-related deaths among women.
The call was made during a three-day capacity-building workshop on integrating cancer prevention into family planning services at PHCs. The training was organised by NICRAT in collaboration with the Ebonyi State Ministry of Health and held in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of NICRAT, Professor Usman Malami Aliyu, represented by a Senior Scientific Officer, Musa Mutiu Terere, said the initiative is being implemented nationwide across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
According to him, the programme is designed to enable women to conveniently access breast and cervical cancer screenings while receiving family planning services at PHCs.
Professor Aliyu explained that breast cancer remains the most common cancer affecting women in Nigeria, often presenting with symptoms such as painless breast or armpit lumps and bloody nipple discharge. He added that cervical cancer, largely caused by persistent infection with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), ranks second among cancers affecting Nigerian women.
He stressed that both breast and cervical cancers are highly treatable when detected early.
Aliyu noted that NICRAT, established under the NICRAT Act of 2017 and operational since 2023, is mandated to coordinate cancer research, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care in Nigeria. The institute covers major cancer types, including breast, prostate, cervical, brain, and blood cancers.
He identified late presentation as one of the biggest challenges in cancer management in the country.
“When people come for screening early, cancer can be detected and treated successfully. Sadly, many patients present at advanced stages when treatment options are limited to management,” he said.
Also speaking, the Ebonyi State Team Lead for NICRAT’s Cancer Prevention Integration Pilot Project and facilitator of the training, Dr Maureen Ifeyinwa Okeke, described the programme as a strategic awareness intervention aimed at helping individuals understand their health status and the importance of early cancer screening.
She explained that family planning clinics provide an effective platform to educate women of reproductive age on cancer prevention, while also encouraging them to promote prostate cancer awareness among their spouses.
Dr Okeke disclosed that although the pilot project is currently ongoing in Abakaliki Local Government Area, NICRAT is working with media organisations and community mobilisers to expand awareness across other parts of Ebonyi State.
She further revealed that by 2026, NICRAT plans to equip PHCs with screening kits and provide continuous training for health workers. She added that the institute is also responsible for cancer diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care nationwide.
Dr Okeke commended the Coordinating Federal Minister of Health and Social Welfare for supporting the initiative and urged health workers to adhere strictly to ethical standards in service delivery.
She encouraged members of the public to take advantage of the services at PHCs, noting that integrating cancer screening into family planning services would significantly reduce undiagnosed cancer cases, especially among women.
One of the participants, Donatus Egbe, described the training as timely and impactful, pledging to raise awareness through schools, churches, and community meetings.
“I will personally inform people in village meetings and churches that cancer screening services are now available at primary health centres,” he said.
Another participant, a registered nurse-midwife, Mrs Nkeiruka Ogo, said decentralising cancer screening to PHCs would help curb preventable cancer-related deaths at the grassroots.
She noted that awareness campaigns would be incorporated into antenatal care, immunisation programmes, and other routine health services. According to her, many people are more willing to visit PHCs than secondary or tertiary hospitals.
Mrs Ogo emphasised confidentiality as a core principle of the initiative and called for strong relationships between health workers and community members to build trust and encourage participation.
In his remarks, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Health, Dr Moses Ikenna Ekuma, described the initiative as a lifesaving intervention and commended NICRAT and the Federal Ministry of Health for prioritising early cancer detection.
He lamented that many cancer deaths occur because patients present at advanced stages, stressing that early screening could prevent most of such fatalities.
Dr Ekuma thanked NICRAT for selecting Ebonyi State for the pilot programme and assured that the state government, under Governor Francis Nwifuru, would provide full support to ensure the success and sustainability of the initiative.
Stay updated with Ebonyi News Network for real-time reports, in-depth analysis, and exclusive coverage of policies shaping Ebonyi State.
