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By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
The Toyin Oni Foundation has called for expanded cancer screening, affordable health insurance and stronger patient support, warning that the high cost of treatment and limited access to early diagnosis continue to undermine efforts to save lives in Nigeria.
The call came as the foundation marked its 15th anniversary, held in Lagos, with stakeholders urging a shift from cancer awareness campaigns to practical interventions that improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship.
Speaking at the themed “Beyond Awareness: Understanding Cancer From Prevention to Survivorship,” the foundation’s chairperson, Bukola Smith, stated that financial constraints, inadequate public awareness and limited access to appropriate healthcare remained major barriers to better cancer outcomes.
She stressed that early detection was critical to improving survival rates for breast, cervical and prostate cancers, noting that many Nigerians still lacked access to reliable health information, screening facilities and affordable treatment.
Smith said the foundation had spent the past 15 years extending its community outreach to areas including Akoka, Yaba, Shomolu, Ebute-Metta, Surulere and Ogudu, as well as rural communities, but maintained that sustained progress required broader institutional support. “Cancer remains a major health challenge in Nigeria,” she said, calling for a coordinated national response that prioritises prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and long-term support for survivors.
She urged governments and other stakeholders to strengthen financial assistance for patients and expand access to health insurance to prevent medical expenses from pushing vulnerable households into hardship.
Akintola Oni, foundation’s Convener, pressed for tougher measures to prevent cancer, broader screening initiatives, and more accessible health coverage. His appeal came as the organization celebrated a decade and a half of raising public awareness about the disease, with a fresh drive to cut down on fatalities and shield households from the crushing financial toll of treatment.
He further emphasized that fighting cancer and offering support to those affected shouldn’t rest on the shoulders of just a few organizations, calling instead for broader involvement from the wider community.
Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akinola Abayomi, highlighted the state government’s efforts to strengthen health insurance coverage and reduce dependence on out-of-pocket payments.
He said pooling healthcare resources could improve citizens’ ability to access medical services while supporting better service delivery, infrastructure development and workforce capacity.
The proposed reforms could have implications for access to healthcare, particularly for low-income households and patients requiring prolonged or expensive treatment. However, details of the measures were yet to be formally announced at the time of the event.
Keynote speaker and founder of the Mercelle-Ruth Cancer Centre, Dr. Modupe Odunsi, reinforced the need to connect awareness campaigns with accessible screening, timely diagnosis and treatment, stressing that identifying cancer without ensuring access to care leaves patients facing another major hurdle.
The foundation also called for tighter regulation of food and drugs, urging the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other relevant agencies to strengthen enforcement and sanction practices that threaten public health.
Convener of the foundation, Akintola Oni, called on individuals, businesses and institutions to support community health education, screening programmes and assistance for patients, emphasising that cancer prevention and care required collective responsibility.
