Health
Private sector indispensable to strengthening cancer care in Nigeria – NICRAT DG
The Director-General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Usman Aliyu, has said the private sector remains critical to strengthening healthcare systems and reducing Nigeria’s cancer burden.
Mr Aliyu stated this on Wednesday in Abuja at a two-day Stakeholder Engagement and Capacity Building Programme organised by Innova Healthcare Nigeria Ltd., themed “Innova Healthcare Nigeria – Bringing the Total Oncology Solution.”
He said meaningful progress in cancer control requires strategic partnerships, innovation, and sustained investment across the cancer care continuum, adding that collaboration is essential to improving access to quality treatment nationwide.
The NICRAT boss described the engagement as a critical intervention for advancing cancer control in Nigeria, noting that emerging technologies continue to reshape diagnosis, treatment, and healthcare delivery systems.
“Today’s activities give an insight into what Innova is doing. Indirectly, it is a kind of human resource development and assistance to the country in strengthening the operational capability of doctors,” he said.
Mr Aliyu said public-private partnerships (PPP) were already improving radiotherapy services, adding that many operational cancer centres in the country currently function through collaborative arrangements.
According to him, nearly half of the radiotherapy centres providing cancer treatment in Nigeria operate under PPP models, underscoring the growing role of the private sector in oncology care.
He said NICRAT, through the Nigeria Cancer Access Partnership (NCAP) and the National Cancer Health Fund (NCHF), had supported more than 10,000 Nigerians with treatment, diagnostics and essential medicines.
Mr Aliyu added that more than 2,000 healthcare professionals had been trained across disciplines, while telemedicine services and access to radiotherapy were being expanded through investments in infrastructure and workforce development.
He further said that NICRAT was preparing to inaugurate Nigeria’s first National Cancer Burden Report, which will provide comprehensive data on the country’s cancer landscape and emerging disease trends.
According to him, the report would guide policy formulation, resource allocation, programme implementation and investment decisions aimed at accelerating national efforts to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer effectively.
Partnerships
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, said partnerships remained central to achieving Nigeria’s cancer control targets and improving access to care.
Represented by Uche Nwokwu, National Coordinator of the National Cancer Control Programme, Mr Salako said that government efforts alone would not be sufficient to meet the growing demand for cancer care.
“We also rely on collaborations with our partners to improve access to cancer care in Nigeria,” he said.
Mr Salako said the National Cancer Control Plan aimed to reduce Nigeria’s cancer burden by 50 per cent by 2030 through improved screening, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship interventions nationwide.
He added that the Cancer Access Partnership Programme currently provides subsidised anti-cancer medicines at more than 24 hospitals across the country, helping improve affordability and treatment access.
“The problem is not just treatment. Some patients struggle with transportation, accommodation and feeding costs, which significantly increase the burden of care.”
Wong Kai Tan, Business Development Director of Innova Healthcare Nigeria Ltd., said the company remained committed to improving treatment outcomes and addressing critical gaps in oncology services.
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Mr Tan said Nigeria continued to face shortages in radiotherapy equipment and specialised personnel, including radiation oncologists, medical physicists and radiation therapists needed for effective cancer treatment delivery.
“We are here to bridge the two countries together, to bridge the two worlds together, to make sure we are able to deliver care much better.”
He said Innova was exploring partnerships to promote technology transfer, knowledge exchange, and workforce development between Nigeria and Singapore to strengthen oncology service delivery.
Mr Tan added that the company intended to provide end-to-end oncology solutions, including infrastructure development, equipment installation and professional training for healthcare workers across Nigeria.
The company’s Chief Financial Officer, Ikenna Njoku, said the initiative would help reduce medical tourism and make cancer treatment more affordable nationwide for Nigerians.
“What Innova has started is something that has been bothering Nigerians over the years.
“Medical tourism is going to reduce drastically and bring treatment costs to a level many Nigerians can afford,” he added.
Also speaking, Chinedu Aruah, Senior Consultant Radiation and Clinical Oncologist at the National Hospital Abuja, said efforts to strengthen oncology workforce capacity would improve cancer care delivery.
“A lot of people are willing to work, but incentives elsewhere are often better. As the government improves the status of the workforce, things are going to take better shape.”
Mr Aruah described the engagement as a positive development that would improve access to radiotherapy services and help reduce treatment delays for cancer patients nationwide. (NAN)
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has continued to spread geographically, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) reporting cases across 61 health zones in six provinces.
The WHO disclosed this in its latest outbreak situation update issued on Thursday, saying the outbreak had expanded to Kayna Health Zone in North Kivu.
The affected provinces are Bas-Uélé, Haut-Uélé, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tshopo.
Transmission remains a concern
According to the latest WHO update, transmission patterns remain variable, with evidence of continued geographical expansion and sustained increases in cases across some affected health zones despite ongoing response efforts.
The agency said delayed detection remained a major concern, increasing the risk of further transmission within households, communities and healthcare facilities.
It said limited access to early treatment and difficulties in interrupting transmission were also contributing to the challenges faced by the response.
In addition, the WHO said these challenges required strengthened surveillance, rapid response measures and early treatment to help interrupt transmission.
As of 7 September, the DRC had recorded 6,757 confirmed Ebola cases caused by the Bundibugyo virus, including 3,267 deaths.
The figures represent a crude case fatality ratio of 48.3 per cent, according to the WHO.
Outbreak challenges
The latest development comes less than a month after the WHO described the outbreak as the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record.
At the time, 4,449 confirmed cases had been recorded across 53 health zones in five provinces.
The WHO had also warned that the outbreak was spreading faster than previous Ebola outbreaks at the same stage and was on course to potentially surpass the 2014–2016 West African outbreak, which remains the largest recorded Ebola outbreak.
The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus.
READ ALSO: UK increases Ebola response funding to £78.7m
Unlike the Zaire species, which has caused several previous Ebola outbreaks and for which the Ervebo vaccine is used, there is currently no licensed vaccine specifically approved for Bundibugyo virus disease.
In August, the WHO said a high proportion of cases were being detected in communities rather than treatment centres and outside known contact lists, suggesting that some chains of transmission remained unidentified.
The agency had said response measures included contact tracing, treatment centres, safe burial teams, laboratories and community engagement activities.
The WHO said the continued geographical expansion of the outbreak highlights the need to strengthen surveillance and ensure early detection and treatment, particularly in affected communities and healthcare facilities.
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A new report by eHealth Africa has revealed that more than 23 million children were reached and vaccinated against polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases across more than 205,000 settlements in Nigeria between January and June 2026.
The report, titled “Expanding Reach, Readiness and Resilience: Data-Driven Health Systems Across Africa,” indicates that the vaccination figure was part of a broader set of interventions implemented during the first half of 2026.
Digital tools support vaccination campaigns
In partnership with its immunisation partners, eHealth Africa said it expanded the deployment of its in-house PlanFeld digital tool across 253 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 10 northern states.
Through the tool, 33,837 vaccination teams were provided with digitised microplans and catchment-area maps, the report stated.
The technology was also deployed across four LGAs in Lagos State during the Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign, with 1,980 digitised maps produced and distributed to vaccination teams.
The report further highlighted efforts to strengthen the last-mile vaccine supply chain in Sokoto State.
Through the Vaccine Direct Delivery (VDD) intervention, the number of health facilities served increased from 351 to 407 during the period.
Approximately 3.41 million vaccine antigens were delivered to the facilities to support immunisation services in underserved communities, according to the report.
Solar power for primary healthcare centres
Beyond immunisation, the report documented eHealth Africa’s investment in renewable energy for primary healthcare.
Under the Renewable Energy for Primary Health Care (RE4PHC) intervention, supported by UNICEF, the organisation solarised 238 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) across 12 states.
Of the 238 facilities, 226 were remotely monitored and generated 277,800 kilowatt-hours of solar electricity between January and June, the report stated.
eHealth Africa estimated that the electricity generated saved about N166 million in fuel costs and prevented 240 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions during the period.
Since the intervention began, estimated fuel savings have exceeded N414 million, according to the report.
Strengthening laboratories and emergency response
The report also highlighted efforts to strengthen diagnostic and disease-surveillance capacity across Africa.
eHealth Africa said it supported 17 laboratories in 13 countries and expanded its Inventory Management System to 18 laboratories.
Upgrades to five laboratories in Ghana, Zambia, Nigeria and Cameroon were also completed and handed over during the period.
The organisation said the upgrades would strengthen infrastructure for diagnosis, surveillance and outbreak response.
Public health
On public health emergency preparedness, eHealth Africa said its 11 Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) in Nigeria continued to serve as coordination platforms for government agencies, surveillance teams, immunisation officials and development partners.
During the first half of 2026, the centres hosted 546 emergency coordination meetings and supported 102 meetings linked to vaccination campaigns, the report stated.
They also produced 74 public health scorecards to support planning and performance monitoring.
Monitoring medicines at the community level
The report also documented an expansion of community-level surveillance of antibiotic availability and suspected substandard and falsified medicines through the Com-WATCH initiative.
The programme covered Kano, Gombe, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom and the Federal Capital Territory, with 2,512 surveillance actors enrolled.
A further 2,763 medicine vendors and other actors received training, while more than 20,500 community members were reached with sensitisation messages.
By June, 977 medicine outlets were reporting stock information through the platform, eHealth Africa reported.
Humanitarian support
In humanitarian operations, the organisation stated that it managed the World Food Programme Common Storage facility in Ngala, Borno State, which supported 16 humanitarian partners during the period.
According to the report, the warehouse handled 691 metric tons and 2,527 cubic metres of commodities, while six monthly physical inventories were completed.
READ ALSO: Yobe records 511 diphtheria cases, 13 deaths in 2026
The organisation said no stock losses were reported during the period.
‘Significance goes beyond numbers’
Commenting on the findings, eHealth Africa’s Executive Director, Atef Fawaz, said the results reflected what could be achieved when governments, communities, technology, infrastructure and local expertise worked together to strengthen healthcare delivery.
He said the organisation’s focus was not simply on deploying solutions but on building systems that institutions could own, sustain and continue to improve.
“The significance of these results goes beyond the numbers,” Mr Fawaz said.
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