The House of Representatives of the House of Representatives on Wednesday asked the Federal Government to provide free cancer treatment for citizens throughout the country, in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
The resolution was approved after the adoption of a motion entitled “Need for government intervention to subsidize the high cost of cancer treatment to cushion the effects on patients in Nigeria”, sponsored by HE. Deremi Oseni.
In its main debate, the Hon. Oseni said it is the government's responsibility to provide the welfare of citizens, including their health and well -being.
“The house also points out that cancer is now an important public health challenge in Nigeria, and many patients cannot pay the treatment due to high costs.
“The house also points out that the cancer scourge is extending rapidly among our people. For example, in 2020, around 125,000 people were diagnosed with cancer in Nigeria. The most common type is breast cancer, followed by prostate and cervical cancer.
“The house is alarmed that the cost of cancer treatment can vary significantly depending on the type of cancer, the stage of the disease, the method of treatment, the location and the individual health history. In general, the treatment costs range from several tens of millions of Naira or thousands of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.
“The house is worried that many cancer patients leave treatment because they cannot pay costs. The supply chain for cancer medications is complex and expensive, and there is only a limited number of radiotherapy machines in Nigeria.
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“The house is also concerned that the high cost of cancer care leads to some to see it as a disease for the rich or even a death sentence. However, cancer affects both the rich and the poor in Nigeria.
“The house is aware that the cancer load is increasing, while financing for cancer control services is still inappropriate.
“More importantly, due to the expensive nature of cancer treatment, public financing is considered the most appropriate, sustainable and equitable means to finance this aspect of medical care to relieve patient suffering.
“The house is concerned that, although we trust the Almighty God for the total healing of cancer patients, there is an urgent need for government intervention to cushion the high cost of cancer treatment for indigent patients by subsidizing both medicines and general treatment.”
In an attempt to address these concerns, the Chamber ordered its health committee to urge the Ministry of Health to establish a link with development partners to develop modalities to implement a federal government subsidy about the treatment of cancer and related medicines.
To this end, the Chamber also demanded that its legislative compliance committee to guarantee the implementation and inform within six weeks.
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