Nigeria / World Cancer Day |UNifeed

Cancer is often seen as a disease of the rich world, but in fact three quarters of all cancer deaths occur in developing countries – the equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing every hour – and the numbers are rising. IAEA

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Twenty-two-year-old Saadatu Usaman was beating her cancer when the money for the treatment ran out. Now it spread to her chest, and the new drugs she needs cost even more.
Saadatu’s cancer has gone too far to be treated by surgery or radiotherapy, so chemotherapy here at the National Hospital in the Nigerian capital Abuja is the only option.

SOUNDBITE (English) Saadatu Usaman, cancer patient:
 “Cancer has changed my life so dramatically. I’m no longer the Saadatu of yesterday, who could work 24 hours without getting tired. When I was at school I read very well, day and night without stop. But now I can’t even do that. I can’t do anything.”

Cancer is often seen as a disease of the rich world, but in fact three quarters of all cancer deaths occur in developing countries – the equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing every hour – and the numbers are rising.

Here in the developing world, a lack of preventive measures, a lack of diagnosis and a lack of treatment mean that literally millions of people who could be treated in the West are dying for lack of care.

Cancers here often stem from other diseases that could be controlled, such as human papilloma virus. This is closely linked to cervical cancer, which, along with breast cancer, is one of Africa’s biggest killers. Fear, taboos and lack of screening mean that most patients seek help when it’s already too late.

SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr. Festus Igbinoba, Chief Consultant, Radiology and Oncology at National Hospital in Abuja, Nigeria
“Even when they come and you now want to treat the patient, there is the issue of finance. We have a lot of patients we can do something for, but they will tell you ‘Sorry doctor, there is no money’.”

Radiotherapy can be highly effective, but Nigeria has only four radiotherapy centres for a population of 150 million. Maintenance is a huge challenge; three of the four radiotherapy machines at this hospital are out of order.

SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Festus Igbinoba, Chief Consultant, Radiology and Oncology at National Hospital in Abuja, Nigeria:
“The equipment aspect of it we need to address as well, because a patient, assuming they manage to come here early, and you don’t have the right equipment, you are handicapped.”

The IAEA’s cancer expertise lies in radiotherapy and nuclear medicine. But it’s also working more broadly with the World Health Organisation and other partners to support coordinated cancer control programmes that would give people like Saadatu a better chance.

SOUNDBITE (English) Saadatu Usaman, Cancer patient:
“I have a dream to get up, to get out of this sickness, to be what I’m destined to be. I’m a graduate but I can’t work. I can’t go anywhere.”

Unless more money can be found for new treatment, she may have only months to live.

Posted by Jim Alexander on February 6, 2010. Filed under Human Interest,International News,Medicine,United Nations Headlines,WorldNewsVine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.