Runcie C.W. Chidebe: Corruption kills more cancer patients than cancer itself
Runcie C.W. Chidebe, Executive Director at Project PINK BLUE, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“It’s exciting to see that the Honourable Minister of Health and Social Welfare Prof. Muhammad Pate is so committed to cancer control & giving cancer patients a second chance.
The Federal Government’s appropriation of N17.9 billion four years ago, and N20 billion in 2024, totaling N37.9 billion, it’s great and commendable.
As a patient advocate and cancer control expert, it is still unclear of the progress we have achieved with the numerous financial commitments. Is the ministry not getting cash- backed or the funds are not utilized as it supposed to be? This is a question that require thorough research.
The HMHSW Muhammad Pate has urged the Economic and Financial Crime Commission and Civil Society Organisations in the cancer space to ensure all funds for the initiative were monitored to ensure accountability.
Honestly, it is rare to see or hear a public servant calling for accountability, hence, I commend the HMHSW and stand with him on this, funds budgeted for cancer control must be used to give Nigerian cancer patients a chance to live.
Corruption kills more cancer patients than cancer itself. Cancer will continue to be perceived as a death sentence in Nigeria except we begin to have more cancer survivors.
Cancer patients across the world are surviving cancer and celebrating victory over this disease. In Nigeria, this is not the case. We still lack national screening to promote early detection, our cancer workforce is still bleak – less than 80 cancer doctors caring for over 120k patients, there is no governments PET CT Scan, tumor marker is still a very huge issue, financial toxicity is killing more patients because they cannot afford medication, pharma are leaving Nigeria leaving their medication to 3rd parties, data and research is still weak. We are making progress, but we can do more with accountability.”