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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised the alarm that over 350,000 children in Nigeria and other low- and middle-income countries lack access to cancer treatment. The development, according to the global health agency, has decreased their chances of surviving from the life-threatening disease. Disclosing this recently in Geneva Switzerland, the Director-General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanon Ghebreyesus, explained that only a quarter of the low-income countries offer childhood cancer medicines through public benefits.
The WHO boss observed that children and families in these countries are exposed to overwhelming suffering and financial hardship, with less than 30 per cent surviving the disease, while those in high income countries enjoy in excess of 90 per cent. He proposed a holistic reversal of the phenomenon, leveraging on the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer which was launched in 2018 with a target of at least 60 per cent survival rate in low and middle-income countries by 2030, and focusing on six highly curable cancers, which represent more than half of children cancers.
He called for a universal and sustained access to quality assured cancer treatment for children in the affected countries, even as he added that cancer medicines have been added to the latest version of WHO Essential Medicines List and the Essential Medicines List for Children.
The American Cancer Society says that the most common cancers of children are leukemia, brain and spinal cord tumors, neuroblastoma, Wilms tumor, lymphoma (including both Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin), and bone cancer, including osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma. Medical experts also say that other types of cancers are rare in children, but they do happen sometimes. They opine that in very rare cases, children may even develop cancers that are much more common in adults.
According to WHO key facts on childhood cancer, each year, an estimated 400,000 children and adolescents of 0-19 years old develop cancer. In high-income countries, where comprehensive services are generally accessible, more than 80 per cent of children with cancer are cured. However, in low- and middle-income countries, less than 30 per cent are cured.
Unfortunately, childhood cancer cannot be generally prevented or identified through screening. But most childhood cancers can be cured with generic medicines and other forms of treatment, including surgery and radiotheraphy.Since many Nigerian children are among those without access to cancer treatment, the federal and state governments should ensure that treatment for childhood cancers are available, accessible and affordable. We also advise the government begin to bear the cost of treatment for childhood cancers. We believe that doing so will radically curb the rising cases of childhood cancers.
The fight against childhood cancers and other cancers cannot be won without enhancing the country’s annual health budget up to the 15 per cent agreed by African leaders in Abuja some years ago. And to achieve the universal health coverage, it should be extended to 20 per cent. The current practice of allocating about four to five per cent of our annual budget to health is quite insignificant. Before now, the annual health budget has hovered between five and seven per cent. Any health budget below the 15 per cent benchmark is not likely to achieve anything worthwhile in the beleaguered sector.
There must be political will to combat childhood cancers by federal, state and local governments. Let the government train more oncologists, especially those specializing in childhood cancers. Since the children are the leaders of tomorrow and hope for the future, matters affecting them should be accorded priority attention by the government. At the same time, the government should build more cancer centres across the country, especially those that will cater for childhood cancers. Detection of cancer at the early stages makes it easier to cure. Therefore, people should not regard cancer as a death sentence. Let there be intensified public awareness programmes on the causes of childhood cancers, the symptoms, preventive measures and treatment options.
We, therefore, call on the government to review its health policies with a view to addressing its challenges. Not much can be achieved in curbing the childhood cancer scourge if the health sector is not urgently revamped. With an estimated population of over 200million people, the government should invest heavily in the health sector. We urge the incoming health minister to do everything humanly possible to holistically address the mounting challenges of the health sector.
