…rising prices restrict entry to therapy
In 2021, Priscillia Kojo, a Nigerian nurse, moved from the bedside to the working desk after a breast most cancers prognosis. Following a mastectomy and a subsequent recurrence, she thought-about promoting her belongings to lift cash for chemotherapy.
“I’ve used up all my financial savings,” Kojo stated. She now faces a N3 million invoice for her subsequent spherical of therapy, a sum she can’t pay.
Kojo’s wrestle reveals a widening hole in Nigerian healthcare. Because the nation grapples with double-digit inflation and a weakened foreign money, the price of surviving breast most cancers has disconnected completely from the financial actuality of its residents. The minimal price of therapy now stands at 72 occasions the nationwide minimal wage, remodeling a treatable medical situation right into a monetary loss of life sentence for almost all of the inhabitants.
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In response to the World Well being Organisation (WHO), Nigeria data about 88 new breast most cancers instances day by day. But, as of 2025, solely 27 most cancers centres are serving a inhabitants of almost 250 million folks, a determine consultants say is grossly insufficient.
Ify Nwabuku, president of the African Girls’s Most cancers Consciousness Affiliation (AWCAA), additionally shared how difficult it was for her mom to entry care resulting from monetary constraints and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
“I by no means knew the burden African girls face in attempting to entry breast most cancers care within the US till my mum was identified,” she stated throughout an occasion in Abuja on February 4, World Most cancers Day.
Promise Ihezie, chief working officer and breast most cancers advocate on the Breast Most cancers Affiliation of Nigeria (BRECAN), stated restricted entry to care and excessive therapy prices are main drivers of rising breast most cancers instances, additional endangering sufferers’ survival.
“About 90 p.c to 95 p.c of breast most cancers sufferers can’t afford therapy resulting from excessive prices, each when it comes to entry and funds,” he stated.
“The typical price of breast most cancers therapy in Nigeria ranges between N5 million and N40 million, relying on the kind of care and the stage of the most cancers,” Ihezie added. “From chemotherapy and radiotherapy to surgical procedure and medicines, the out-of-pocket funds are far too excessive for people to bear,” Ihezie defined.
“Every session prices between N40,000 and N45,000, and it is suggested at the least twice a 12 months,” Emuoghoke Emonena-Solotan, a breast most cancers advocate at BRECAN stated.
“I visited a number of public hospitals in Ibadan to get a mammogram, however hardly discovered any. Solely two amenities supply the service, and they’re privately owned,” she added.
The latest most cancers management capability and desires evaluation report by IARC (2025) highlighted how inadequate most cancers therapy amenities are undermining progress within the battle in opposition to most cancers within the nation.
Solely 15 radiotherapy machines exist in tertiary hospitals throughout Nigeria, with some centres non-functional and insufficient for a inhabitants of 223 million folks.
Causes for top price of therapy
The dearth of complete insurance coverage protection, low funding in most cancers care, excessive out-of-pocket funds, poor infrastructure, ability gaps, and excessive upkeep prices are main causes for the excessive price of therapy, in keeping with consultants.
“Nigeria’s Well being Insurance coverage Scheme doesn’t present complete protection for most cancers sufferers,” Ihezie famous.
Some consultants be aware {that a} single most cancers therapy machine, similar to an MRI scanner, prices between N375 million and N1 billion, and when it breaks down, upkeep prices are sometimes very excessive.
“Most of those machines are very costly, and since the federal government subsidises prices, it can’t afford to repair them once they malfunction,” James Afolarin, a medical physician, famous.
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What’s the best way ahead?
Provision of complete insurance coverage protection could be a serious leap for breast most cancers sufferers in Nigeria, consultants say.
Nigeria wants to speculate closely in most cancers care, it’s not nearly getting foreigners to speculate for income, Ihezie famous. He careworn that Nigeria should draw up a devoted nationwide price range for most cancers care to cut back therapy prices, as most residents nonetheless can’t afford companies at newly commissioned most cancers therapy centres. In response to him, the Nationwide Well being Insurance coverage Scheme (NHIS) should step in to subsidise these prices.
Ihezie additionally identified that the present nationwide most cancers therapy fund is just not complete sufficient, because it targets just one educating hospital per area, which is inadequate for Nigeria’s giant inhabitants.
Consultants additional emphasised the significance of equipping Main Healthcare Centres (PHCs) with primary diagnostic instruments to make sure early detection and cut back late presentation of instances. “PHCs ought to at the least have the ability to perform mammograms to extend early detection charges in Nigeria,” Emonena-Solotan stated. She added that “non secular leaders and clerics ought to create extra consciousness by encouraging their followers to repeatedly go for check-ups.”
Equally, Ify Nwabuku, president of AWCAA, highlighted group outreach as a essential technique for consciousness creation. “Group outreach is vital to creating consciousness as a result of it offers us a platform the place we are able to educate our girls,” she stated.
International incidence instances
Breast most cancers incidence and mortality fluctuate broadly throughout areas, reflecting variations in healthcare entry and high quality. In Africa, incidence is highest in Algeria, Morocco, Namibia, Mauritius and Nigeria, whereas Nigeria data the best mortality, highlighting gaps in early detection and therapy.
In Asia, Israel, Japan and Singapore lead in incidence, however mortality stays lowest in nations with stronger well being methods similar to Japan and South Korea. Europe studies a number of the world’s highest incidence charges, notably in France and Cyprus, but comparatively low mortality resulting from efficient screening and care. In Latin America and the Caribbean, disparities persist, whereas North America combines a excessive incidence with low mortality due to superior healthcare infrastructure.
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Authorities Efforts
Past establishing a Nationwide Institute for Most cancers Analysis and Remedy (NiCRAT), the Federal Authorities is increasing most cancers care by the Nationwide Most cancers Fund. It is usually establishing new therapy centres in Katsina, Enugu and Edo, whereas upgrading current amenities. Nevertheless, consultants say these efforts are nonetheless inadequate to curb the rising incidence of breast most cancers in Nigeria.
