Crisis looms if immediate action is not taken to curb the scourge of Cancer in Nigeria - Hajiya Turai Umaru Yar'Adua

September 14, 2009.

The Nigerian First Lady Hajiya Turai Umaru Yar'Adua has warned that Nigeria may face the worse cancer crisis ever if additional facilities to combat the scourge are not put in place immediately.

Hajiya Turai Umaru Yar'Adua gave the warning on 14^th September, 2009 in Vienna, Austria during her meeting with officials of the IAEA's Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) led by Mr. Massoud Samiei, Head and Programme Director.

  First Lady stressing a point during her meeting with PACT

Describing the situation as an already gloomy one, Hajiya Turai Umaru Yar'Adua revealed that Nigeria with a population of 140 million  already has an estimated 100,000 cases of cancer annually,  adding that this figure aided by increasing evolution and other causative factors may hit the 500,000 mark in 2015.

If this trend is however allowed to continue, about 100 million people, she lamented could die of cancer globally but people of middle and low income countries like Nigeria would be the majority.

While the Nigerian government , according to her, is trying to address the issues through additional funding and upgrading of Health Care Delivery System, a private initiative is however necessary to compliment these efforts, she said.

This, according to her, has informed her decision to take the bull by the horn by initiating the International Cancer Centre Project in Abuja (ICCA) which  she said is purely non-governmental and a registered foundation.

Though a lot of preliminary work and some progress, she added, have been made on the ICCA project, it was however  important to seize the opportunity proffered by the 53^rd IAEA Session to apprise the Agency of the project with a view to seeking possible areas of support and collaboration, she  argued.

Hajiya Turai Umaru Yar'Adua in conclusion also voiced out ICCA's  willingness to partner with PACT to achieve its long run objective of fighting cancer.

Mrs. Margit Fischer welcomes the First Lady to the Austrian State House (Hofburg)

The Nigerian First Lady who made her first appearance at the opening session of the 53rd General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also held a meeting with the Austrian First Lady, Mrs.  Margit Fischer, where she further put her message on the ICCA project across.

Nigerian First Lady Hajiya Turai Umaru Yar'Adua accompanied by Amb. Ugokwe. at the opening session of the 53rd General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

First Lady declares open the newly upgraded Nigerian Embassy Vienna Website

September 14,2009.

Hajiya Turai Umaru Yar'Adua declaring the new Embassy website open while Amb. Ugokwe looks on.

The Nigerian First Lady Hajiya Turai Umaru Yar'Adua on September 14, 2009 paid a visit to the Nigerian Embassy at Rennweg 25 1030, Vienna and officially declared open the newly improved Embassy website.

Presenting the website to the First Lady, the Nigerian Ambassador and Permanent Representative in Austria, Dr. Jerry Sonny Ugokwe described it as one of the best among its genre with all modernized features of today’s information technology facility.

The newly upgraded Nigerian Embassy website, he said, has a more professional look andfeel achieved through the effective use of the Nigerian colors of green and white.

The new website, according to him, is also more informative to the Austrian people who, with the advantage of a flash animation in the homepage, will become better acquainted with the Nigerian culture.

Also incorporated in the website is a media center for uploading media content such as photos and videos, he said.

Nigeria and IAEA-PACT join to fight cancer

Nigeria's First Lady calls for donor action in unequal cancer funding

19 September 2009

PACT is joining forces with Nigeria to help fight Africa's growingcancer crisis. An agreement signed in September will focus ondeveloping comprehensive cancer control strategies and action planstailored to address the needs and conditions of the people of Nigeriaand beyond.

The situation is urgent. Recent statistics show that by 2020 Africawill have more than one million new cancer cases a year. Yet in manyAfrican countries, resources are limited and health systems areill-equipped to cope with the growing burden. Currently only 0.3percent of the world's cancer-related expenditure goes to Africa.

“PACT is working in partnership with the World Health Organizationand other international cancer organizations to help countries buildintegrated, sustainable National Cancer Control Plans suited to theirspecific needs and conditions,” said H.E. Hajia Turai Yar'Adua,Nigeria's First Lady, who signed a Practical Arrangement with the IAEAduring its annual General Conference.

H.E. Hajia Turai Yar'Adua, Nigeria's First Lady and Werner Burkart, IAEA Deputy Director General for Nuclear Sciences and Applications, preparing to sign the agreement. (Photo: D. Calma/IAEA)

“Such plans cover all aspects of cancer care and control, fromprevention and early detection, through treatment to end-of-life care,”she said.

H.E. Hajia Turai Yar'Adua is a founder of Nigeria's InternationalCancer Centre in Abuja (ICCA). Under the agreement, PACT will work withthe ICCA to fight cancer in Nigeria and help address the needs forcancer control assistance in other African countries.

“As the most populous country in Africa, Nigeria is a leader on thecontinent, and is an important ally in the fight against cancer,” saidWerner Burkart, IAEA Deputy Director General for Nuclear Sciences andApplications.

“With its partnership expertise, PACT can assist Nigeria and theICCA in establishing sound partnerships that will reach beyond theborders of this important nation,” he said. “In particular, Nigeria'shigh statistical profile enables us to set a precedent in usingpopulation- and institution-based cancer registries in putting cancerat the top of public health agendas continent-wide,” he said.

“More importantly, Nigeria is can become an important partner indelivering assistance to other countries in Africa in the developmentof national cancer plans and establishment of joint pilot projects,”said Burkart.

PACT and ICCA will collaborate in public awareness-raising andeducation; assessment of the cancer incidence profile, interventionsand targets to strengthen national capacity; determination of priorityactions; identification of successful projects/programmes in theshort-term; resource mobilization, including the elaboration of jointgrant applications as appropriate; and monitoring and evaluationpractices.

“PACT is calling on donors, great and small, to add their support tothe fight against cancer. I urge you to join this effort. Together wecan close the gap and end the cancer inequalities that spell pain anddeath for millions of people,” said Hajia Turai Yar'Adua. (IAEA)