The Federal Government has intensified efforts to prevent and detect liver cancer early by strengthening the prevention and control of hepatitis B and C, the Minister of State for Health, Dr Adekunle Salako, has said.
Salako spoke on Thursday in Abuja at the 5th Africa Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Cancer Consortium Conference, where cancer specialists, researchers and healthcare professionals from more than 30 African countries, as well as participants from the United States, Europe and Asia, discussed strategies to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal cancers.
The minister, who was represented by the Director of Clinical Services at the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, Prof Musa Ali-Gonbe, said Nigeria’s cancer response remained constrained by late presentation, inadequate specialised diagnostic services, shortages of skilled personnel and limited access to advanced treatment.
He also identified high treatment costs, weak health systems and insufficient research as major challenges affecting cancer outcomes in the country.
He said, “Particular attention is being given to liver cancer through the prevention and control of hepatitis B and C, including vaccination, screening, diagnosis and treatment.”
