The National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, NICRAT, has called for the integration of cancer prevention screenings into family planning services across Primary Health Centres, PHCs, in Nigeria.
The appeal was made at the weekend during a three-day training programme on integrating cancer prevention into family planning services at PHCs, organised by NICRAT in collaboration with the Ebonyi State Ministry of Health.
The training was held at Centenary City, Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of NICRAT, Prof. Usman Malami Aliyu, represented by Senior Scientific Officer, Mr Musa Mutiu Terere, said the programme, currently ongoing across the six geopolitical zones of the country, aims to enable women to access breast and cervical cancer screenings while receiving family planning services at PHCs.
Professor Aliyu explained that breast cancer, often characterised by painless breast or armpit lumps and bloody nipple discharge, is the most common cancer affecting Nigerian women.
He added that cervical cancer, caused by long-term infection with the Human Papilloma Virus, HPV, is the second most common, stressing that both diseases are highly treatable when detected early.
He noted that NICRAT, established under the NICRAT Act of 2017 and operational since 2023, is mandated to lead cancer research, prevention, and treatment in Nigeria, covering cancers such as breast, prostate, cervical, brain, and blood cancers.
According to him, late presentation remains a major challenge in cancer management.
“If people go to the hospital on time and get screened, cancer can be detected early and most cases are curable. Unfortunately, many people present very late when the disease has spread, leaving only management as an option,” he said.
The facilitator and Ebonyi State Team Lead for NICRAT’s Integration of Cancer Prevention Services into Family Planning Pilot Study, Dr Maureen Ifeyinwa Okeke, described the programme as an awareness-driven intervention aimed at helping people understand their health status and the importance of early screening.
She explained that family planning services provide a strategic platform to educate women of childbearing age about cancers, including prostate cancer awareness for their spouses, to enhance early detection and community-wide enlightenment.
Dr Okeke disclosed that while the pilot study is currently being implemented in Abakaliki Local Government Area, NICRAT is working with media organisations and community mobilisers to extend awareness to other parts of the state.
She further revealed that NICRAT would provide PHCs with training and screening kits by 2026, adding that the institute is responsible for cancer diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care.
She commended the Coordinating Federal Minister of Health and Social Welfare for his support and urged health workers to uphold ethical standards in service delivery.
She also advised members of the public to freely visit PHCs for screenings, noting that integrating cancer prevention into family planning services would significantly reduce the risk of undetected cancer cases, particularly among women.
One of the participants, Mr Donatus Egbe, described the training as a welcome development, saying it would stimulate public interest in cancer screening.
He pledged to disseminate the information through schools, churches, and town union meetings.
“I will personally announce in village meetings and churches that cancer screenings are now available at primary health centres,” he said.
A registered nurse-midwife and participant, Mrs Nkeiruka Ogo, said decentralising cancer screenings to PHCs would help prevent silent deaths from cancer-related illnesses, especially at the grassroots.
She added that the awareness campaign would be integrated into immunisation schedules and antenatal programmes, noting that many people are often reluctant to visit tertiary or secondary health facilities but would more readily access services at PHCs.
Mrs Ogo emphasised confidentiality as a core value of the campaign and appealed for cordial relationships between health workers and community members to encourage trust and openness.
In his remarks, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Health, Dr Moses Ikenna Ekuma, commended the Coordinating Minister of Health and NICRAT for the initiative, describing it as a lifesaving intervention.
He lamented that doctors are often helpless when women present with advanced-stage cancers, stressing that most cancer-related deaths are preventable through early detection.
Dr Ekuma thanked NICRAT for selecting Ebonyi State for the pilot programme and assured that the state government, under the leadership of Governor Francis Nwifuru, would provide the necessary support to ensure the initiative’s success.
NICRAT advocates early cancer detection through PHCs’ Family Planning Services
