NIMR D-G calls for Government Private Partnership to establish more cancer centres

Prof. Babatunde Salako, the Director-General (D-G), Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), on Friday called for government and private sector partnership for the establishment of more cancer centres in the country.

Salako, who spoke to newsmen during the commemoration of the 2021 World Cancer Day in Lagos, said the establishment of more centres would make services more available to patients.

According to him, such a partnership will reduce the number of Nigerians who travel abroad for cancer treatment and reduce the cost involved.

“First and foremost, let us leave the cost of accessing cancer treatment in the country aside and talk about making the service more available.

“Services for cancer in the country are not enough and that is why a lot of people go outside because it is very costly to treat cancer in Nigeria.

“If we have services available and accessibility is easy, the cost will come down and there will be a competitive advantage for people who need cancer care,” he said.

“Government should partner with the private sector to build cancer centres where people can get these services and government should only regulate and assist them to start.

“I know there is an ongoing effort by the government to build centres across the country, I don’t think government alone should be doing this.

“People or organisations who are interested in creating cancer centres should go through the government regulatory body and established their own.”

On alternative treatment for cancer, the director-general said the use of traditional medicine could not be shoved aside, noting that the efficacy and safety of such herbal drugs must be tested.

“A large number of people all over the world use traditional medicine as a first point of contact so it cannot be shove aside.

“What is important is the safety and efficacy of such medicine and these are subject of research.

“For us as scientists, we want to see such drugs and confirm it, so that we can help in that process.

“Here in NIMR, we have a centre where we work with traditional/herbal medicine practitioners to authenticate the safety and efficacy of their drugs but funding has been a major challenge,” Salako said