In a powerful display of solidarity, first ladies from across Africa gathered in Abuja this week to confront the continent’s growing cancer crisis head-on.

Hosted by Nigeria’s First Lady, Remi Tinubu, the 3rd Regional Seminar on Cancer Awareness served as a call to action for accelerated prevention and treatment efforts.

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Acknowledging several initiatives of the current administration in cancer management, including improved budgetary funding for health in 2024 and expanded access to cancer treatment, the first lady of Nigeria said that reversing the grim statistics of cancer prevalence in the country in the last five years is a major priority, starting with mobilizing resources to promote early detection.

In a statement by her media aide, Busola Kukoyi, the seminar aims to share knowledge and mobilize resources towards rolling back the prevalence of cancer, particularly breast and cervical cancer among women.

Mrs Tinubu while addressing the seminar stated that President Bola Tinubu has fully taken up the diagnostic and treatment component of cancer care.

According to her, she will lead the advocacy to promote innovative approaches to cancer prevention and early detection.

She said her major interest is to reduce the prevalence of late presentation to improve treatment outcomes. She also assured Nigerians that the HPV vaccine is safe and very helpful in preventing cancer of the cervix in young girls.

“My major interest is to reduce the prevalence of late presentation to improve treatment outcomes. Reports from various cancer registries in the country that have been corroborated by Globocan Data show that there were 127,763 new cancer cases and 79,542 deaths within the year and also, the prevalent cases of cancer over 5 years in the country, stood at 269,109.

“Globocan shows that cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in Nigeria. Fortunately, it is preventable and curable when detected early.

“This has led to my stand in championing preventive measures and early detection approaches to all preventable and curable cancers in Nigeria.”

In his remarks, the speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, emphasized the need to enact a National Cancer Act.

He said with the first ladies taking the lead in the advocacy, he is assured that the outcome would be more positive.

Worried by the cumulative toll of Cancer on the continent, the first lady of Turkey, Emine Erdogan urged Africans to promote a good dietary system and leverage their rich medicinal resources.

Presenting the situation reports on cancer management in their various countries, first ladies from OIC African member states, including Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, emphasized the need to forge alliances and raise awareness on the deadly disease.

After the seminar, which had the technical session on Wednesday, there was the Abuja Declaration, which had resolutions including Improved funding, heightened advocacy, and improved collaboration between member states. It was read by Nigeria’s first lady and the other first ladies appended their signature.

To address malnutrition in Katsina State, the state government said over N200 million has been committed to curtail its prevalence.

Governor Umaru Radda who disclosed this at the maiden state council on health held at the state secretariat in Katsina, said his government has committed over N200 million to UNICEF as counterpart funding for the people to manage acute malnutrition.

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The governor added that his administration has secured an additional one-year extension for the Accelerating Nutrition Result in Nigeria (ANRiN) project that focuses on preventing malnutrition among children under five, and pregnant and lactating mothers.

He announced that drug shortages in hospitals have become a thing of the past, stressing that the government has made a proactive approach that solved the challenge.

“We have also provided almost N90 million as a marching fund for constructing a high-quality pharmaceutical warehouse.

“I want to reaffirm my administration’s unwavering commitment to achieving universal health coverage for the people of Katsina State. Health is fundamental, and it is part of our duties as leaders to ensure that every citizen has access to quality healthcare services.

“I am proud to support the advice and recommendations of the State Council on Health, as we work together to improve the health outcomes of our people and build a stronger, healthier Katsina State”, he said.

Adamawa State government has closed down public and private schools following the outbreak of measles in the state.

The closure notice was contained in a statement signed yesterday in Yola, the state capital by the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Aisha Umar.

Umar said the closure is to mitigate the spread of measles and to enable the state Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHCDA) to vaccinate the age group that is vulnerable to the disease.

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The ministry announced May 13, 2024, as the new resumption date.

She said, “Because of the above all public and private schools are hereby directed to close down schools accordingly please.”

At least 42 persons have been confirmed dead following the outbreak of the disease in the state.

The commissioner for health and human services, Mr Felix Tangwami, said the cases were recorded in vaccine-non-compliant communities in the state.

Tangwami said 23 people died in Mubi-North and 19 in Gombi local government areas of the state.