The Chairman of the National Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination (NTF-CCE), and former Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has disclosed that Nigeria requires about N2.2 trillion to implement comprehensive cervical cancer interventions between 2026 and 2030. Also, he said that the country needs N1.42trillion for cancer treatment by 2030. He stated this at the launch of the Partnership to Eliminate Cervical Cancer in Nigeria (PECCiN) in Abuja. The PECCiN is an initiative of the NTF-CCE, inaugurated at the State House by the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, to hasten Nigeria’s implementation of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) 90-70-90 targets for cervical cancer elimination.
The interventions have been grouped into three categories, primary prevention, secondary prevention, and tertiary treatment. According to Adewole, the Human Papilloma Virus vaccination programme will be delivered through fixed sessions at health facilities and outreach-based immunisation campaigns. The total direct implementation will cost N387.52 billion over the next five years, while administrative and supervisory costs will amount to N426.28 billion.
He says that cervical cancer screening over the same period will cost N351 billion, targeting 14.4 million women. Adewole remarked that nearly 300,000 women will require care for invasive cervical cancer between 2026 and 2030 for external treatment. Nigeria is projected to spend approximately N1.42 trillion on treatment cumulatively. This means the cost will drop from N8.7 million in 2026 to N4.1 million by 2030.
There is no doubt that Nigeria that needs urgent investment in the health sector to be able to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030. The government should also hasten the implementation of robust cervical cancer elimination interventions in the country considering the fatalities recorded so far. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said 76,000 African women lose their lives yearly to the disease.
Nigeria accounts for a high proportion of cervical cancer cases and deaths in Africa. A 2023 report said Nigeria had a population of 60.9 million women aged 15 and older at risk of developing cervical cancer. Each year, approximately 12,075 Nigerian women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 7,968 die from the disease. The high number of deaths from cervical cancer in Nigeria is a cause for concern.
Cervical cancer, experts say, is a persistent infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus causing virtually all cervical cancers. There are two high-risk types, HPV 16 and HPV 18, both which account for 70 per cent of cervical cancers worldwide. Most HPV infections disappear on their own within a year or two as the immune system controls the infection. Unlike these short-term infections, which do cause cancer, a high-risk HPV infection lasts for years.
According to experts, it can lead to changes in the cervical cells, resulting in a precancerous lesion. And if the precancerous lesion is not found and removed, it may eventually develop into cervical cancer. They opine that nearly all sexually active people will become infected with HPV at some point in their lives. This is why all hands should be on deck to tackle cervical cancer in Nigeria.
There should be vigorous campaigns on the causative factors of cervical cancers using the mass media in English, Pidgin and indigenous languages in all the states and council areas. Religious and community leaders should be part of the campaign to bring the cervical cancer awareness to rural communities. Health workers at all levels should join the enlightenment campaign on cervical cancer. It has been established that women who become sexually active before 18 or have multiple sexual partners are more prone to become infected with a high-risk type of HPV.
Ignorance, self-medication, fear of stigmatisation and lack of screening and treatment centres are part of the reasons cervical cancer incidents have continued to increase. Many African women do not know that cervical cancer is preventable and highly curable if detected early. Research shows that nearly all cervical cancers could be prevented by HPV vaccination, routine cervical cancer screening, and appropriate follow-up treatment as the need arises.
The most protection is administering the HPV vaccine before a person becomes sexually active. A routine HPV vaccination for girls and boys at age 11 or 12 is highly recommended till 26. Unvaccinated adults between the ages of 27 and 45 may choose to get the HPV vaccine. Due to the high casualty rate associated with cervical cancer, sexually active youths are advised to use condoms to decrease the risk of HPV transmission.
We laud the initiatives to address the cervical cancer menace. It is good that Nigerian governors have pledged to eliminate the scourge in the country. More screening centres should be built in the cities, local governments and rural communities. Hospitals should be equipped with modern facilities to diagnose and treat cervical cancer patients nationwide. Nigeria needs more oncologists and nurses to take care of cancer patients. If the required funds are made available, it will go a long way to change the situation. There is urgent need to accelerate efforts to eliminate cervical cancer in the country