The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Friday began offering free hydrocele surgeries to affected residents across the six Area Councils.

Teresa Nwachukwu, Director of the FCT Public Health Department, stated that the intervention would enable access to surgical care for those unable to afford treatment.

Nwachukwu, represented by Ngozi Ebisike, Head of the Disease Control Division, spoke at the flag-off ceremony at Kubwa General Hospital.

She said hydrocele, although medically treatable, could affect mobility, productivity, family life, self-esteem, and social participation.

According to her, some patients live with the condition for years, enduring pain, discomfort, stigma, and embarrassment, while believing that nothing could be done.

She stated that the FCTA intervention would offer affected residents access to safe, high-quality surgical care.

The FCT government, through the Department of Public Health and Disease Control, acknowledges IHS Towers, The END Fund, Christian Blind Mission (CBM), and HANDS Division for their partnership,” she said.

They remain dedicated to enhancing the prevention, detection, and treatment of neglected tropical diseases and their complications.

Lami Ndayako, FCT Coordinator for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), praised the partners, especially IHS Towers, for their support in eliminating NTDs in the territory.

She said IHS Towers, through The END Fund, has been a strategic partner in advancing NTD elimination efforts in the FCT since 2024.

Ms Ndayako stated that the organisation had invested approximately ₦114 million in the programme over the past three years.

According to her, the support has enhanced preventive and morbidity management interventions for lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis.

She said the programme supported mass distribution of ivermectin for onchocerciasis in two Area Councils, reaching communities with more than 400,000 doses.

Ms Ndayako stated that over 600 community case finders had also been trained to identify and refer individuals living with hydrocele and lymphoedema for surgery and treatment.

She stated that more than 210 hydrocele surgeries have been successfully performed over the past three years.

Earlier, Joseph Kumbur, NTDs Specialist at CBM International, stated that the 2026 surgery exercise would be carried out across the six Area Councils before the end of October.

Kumbur stated that the FCT was endemic for six NTDs, including river blindness and schistosomiasis.

He stated that interventions against river blindness had been ongoing since 1995, noting that the FCT had previously had a high prevalence of the disease.

READ ALSO: PT Health Watch: Why parents should not overlook children’s vision problems

Damian Udeh, Assistant Director of Regulatory Affairs at IHS Towers, stated that the organisation was committed to supporting the communities in which it operated.

Udeh, represented by Jumai Adeika, an officer of the organisation, stated that supporting initiatives that enhance lives, strengthen communities, and promote sustainable development remained among its objectives.

He praised the FCT government, health workers, surgeons, community teams, CBM, The END Fund, and other stakeholders for their contributions to the programme.

“We are especially pleased with the progress achieved through this programme and the number of beneficiaries who have already received surgical care,” he said. (NAN)

The federal government has called for increased African-led research, stronger partnerships and sustainable financing to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hepatobiliary cancers.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, made the call at the fifth Africa Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Cancer Consortium (AHPBCC) Conference on Thursday in Abuja.

Mr Salako, who was represented by Ali Gombe, director of clinical services, National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), said African countries needed evidence that reflected their populations, disease patterns and health system realities to guide effective cancer interventions.

He called for greater investment in research covering epidemiology, risk factors, genetics, prevention, diagnosis and treatment, supported by cancer registries, clinical trials and collaborative research networks.

He also advocated the use of digital health, genomics, and artificial intelligence to strengthen cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance.

“Research should translate into affordable, accessible, sustainable interventions for African populations,” Mr Salako said, describing AHPBCC as a valuable platform for multidisciplinary collaboration.

He said Nigeria was strengthening cancer prevention and early detection while expanding diagnostic and treatment capacity under the National Strategic Cancer Control Plan.

According to him, cancer control required an integrated continuum covering risk reduction, health education, early diagnosis, referral, surgery, systemic therapy, radiotherapy, palliative care and survivorship.

Mr Salako said the government was strengthening financial protection through the National Cancer Health Fund, although hepatobiliary cancers were currently excluded, with plans to expand its coverage.

He also cited the Nigerian Cancer Access Partnership, which provides 50 to 60 per cent discounts on anti-cancer medicines, as well as plans for a catastrophic health fund.

He said prevention remained central, particularly through tobacco control, healthier lifestyles and control of viral infections associated with cancer.

“For liver cancer, particularly hepatitis, emphasis is placed on prevention and control of hepatitis B and C through vaccination, screening, diagnosis and treatment,” he said.

Mr Salako said Nigeria was also investing in specialists, laboratories, cancer treatment centres and research infrastructure, alongside mentorship, fellowships, specialised training and knowledge exchange.

He stressed that no country or institution could address the cancer burden alone, urging governments, researchers, academia, civil society, development partners and the private sector to work together.

Abdulfatai Olokoba, president, Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria (SOGHIN), said the conference exemplified such partnerships among organisations working across the cancer and digestive disease fields.

Mr Olokoba said the collaboration brought together oncologists, surgeons, pathologists, radiologists, scientists, nurses and other specialists to improve knowledge and skills.

He said hepatobiliary cancers remained particularly challenging in Africa because of late presentation, limited resources and capacity gaps, as well as inadequate awareness.

According to him, the three-day meeting would examine prevention, treatment, research, survivorship, public health education, vaccination, surgical innovations and approaches tailored to African realities.

Lewis Roberts, president, African Institute for Liver and Digestive Diseases (AILDD), said hepatobiliary cancers often occurred at younger ages in Africa, resulting in substantial years of life lost.

Mr Roberts said prevention and early detection should remain priorities, noting that cancers diagnosed early were generally more treatable and less costly to manage.

He said conference workshops were examining earlier detection of bile duct, pancreatic and liver cancers using advanced endoscopic procedures, endoscopic ultrasound, ultrasound and FibroScan.

He said research should also explore blood-based methods that could detect cancers earlier without requiring patients to undergo more demanding procedures.

For patients diagnosed at advanced stages, Mr Roberts said research into tumour biology could enable targeted chemical and immune-based treatments tailored to individual cancers.

ALSO READ: Four in 10 cancers worldwide could be prevented, WHO warns

He, however, noted that the cost of some advanced treatments, including monoclonal antibodies, remained beyond the reach of many African health systems.

“We have to start now, and we have to start here,” he said, urging African scientists to develop solutions suited to the continent’s realities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference, attended by more than 300 delegates from over 30 countries, focuses on prevention, treatment, research and survivorship for cancers affecting the liver, pancreas and biliary tract.

The conference, which began on Wednesday and ends on Saturday, brought together experts from Africa, the United States, Europe, Asia and other regions. (NAN)