Fatima Dambatta: The history of Cancer registries in Nigeria
shared a post on LinkedIn: .
“The history of Cancer registries in Nigeria dates as far back as colonial times with the establishment of the first Hospital-based cancer registry in Ibadan, Nigeria.
The IARC is a specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization concerned with cancer research and treatment, and publishing available cancer data from around the world.
In 2022, it was reported that Nigeria has 102,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed yearly with about 72,000 deaths, a lesser-known fact however is that these numbers are an approximation supported by data from only 6 cancer registries across the nation.
In a country as large and diverse as Nigeria, which has not had a census since 2006, these numbers are most likely an underrepresentation.
Cancer advocates and Professionals alike have called for the standardization of the National cancer registration process in Nigeria. A National cancer registry serves not only to provide a true picture of the burden of cancer faced by the country but will serve as a template for planning, supporting the proper allocation of funds, mobilization of the health workforce to underserved areas, improvement in diagnostic and treatment modalities and importantly, support research.
Hence, the workshop on population-based cancer registration organized by the Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria through the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, to launch the National cancer registry regulations and harmonize the data collected from Hospital and population-based registries around the country serves as a stride in the right direction.
The icing on the cake was the declaration of cancer as a notifiable disease by the Minister of State for Health.
I am grateful to have learnt from the wealth of knowledge provided the facilitators on how to set up cancer registries, and ensure that the data collected is of the ‘right quality’.
I was equally delighted to see the brilliant Ayo Omotola of ST. Jude Global as a facilitator, a testament to the fact that childhood cancers will not be left behind.
As agreed by everyone in attendance, the work has only just begun, but as an eternal optimist, I am excited for the journey that lies ahead.”
