The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Hope rises

  • Hope rises for cancer patients

    If the pace of work at the Cancer Treatment Centre at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) is sustained, it will soon be ready for public use like its counterpart at the National Hospital in Abuja. The ongoing phased installation of modern equipment in some public hospitals means cancer patients may no longer have to travel abroad for treatment, reports ADEKUNLE YUSUF

    It was a visit that brought glad tidings to many homes. Last weekend’s visit of Health Minister, Prof Isaac Adewole to Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) brought with it good news: from next month, cancer patients will not need to travel abroad for treatment. They will be taken care of here in Nigeria, courtesy of the ongoing world class Cancer Treatment Centre being built at LUTH.   Prof Adewole broke the news after inspecting the centre, which has reached its advanced stage in Lagos.

    By the time it is inuagurated probably in February, the centre will open up more access to people who need treatment for cancer. Being installed at the centre are VitalBeam High Energy and Halcyon Low Energy cancer machines. According to Prof Adewole, investing in cancer treatment means more people will have the opportunity of being treated in the country, rather than travelling abroad for treatment at exorbitant prices.

    “The main purpose of investing in this cancer treatment centre is to treat more people in the country, rather than travelling out for treatment. Also, the best place to treat patients is when they are among their people and seeing their relations every day. So, we are trying to achieve that and save people’s money because it will be cheaper than travelling outside.

    “We noticed that treatment is beyond the modalities that we offer. Three modalities for cancer treatment are chemotherapy, radiation and surgery because most cancer cases are always presented late. Improving awareness on cancer treatment will make people to come early for treatment and reduce late presentation of cancer cases,” Adewole said.

    After expressing his satisfaction with the pace of construction progress on the site, the minister disclosed that the Federal Government plans to replicate the centre in many health institutions across the country. “LUTH has a first-class of biomedical centre, which we planned to support other centres. I know LUTH will manage the machine properly, which means abandoned and broken equipment will be a thing of the past. There will also be long time maintenance contract that will enable us to manage the cancer machine. So, by February, this centre will start operation fully for the benefits of the patients,” Adewole said.

    The minister also said 40 per cent of cancer cases can be prevented if people can change their sedentary lifestyles, stressing that most cancers can be treated if detected early. According to the professor of gynaecology and obstetrics, cancer prevention starts when people begin to watch and change their lifestyles, especially the way they move around, sleep, eat, what they drink and majorly, staying away from tobacco.

    “Improving awareness on cancer treatment will make people come early for treatment and reduce late presentation of cancer cases. So, we are trying to achieve that and save people’s money because it will be cheaper than travelling outside. We noticed that treatment is beyond the modalities that we offer. Three modalities for cancer treatment are chemotherapy, radiation and surgery because most cancer cases are always presented late,” he said.

    Corroborating the minister, LUTH Chief Medical Director, Prof. Chris Bode, said the essence of the idea behind establishing a world-class cancer treatment centre in the teaching hospital is to reduce medical tourism. “We are really looking forward to the inauguration of the cancer treatment centre because many Nigerians will benefit from it. When our machines were working properly, a lot of people came from different states for treatment here. We already have the manpower, but we are trying to also retrain our experts on how to maintain and use the machine properly,” he said.

    Also last year, the country recorded a similar feat when the National Hospital, Abuja, had its cancer treatment facilities improved with the installation of new Multileave Linear Accelerator (LINAC) machine. At the inauguration of the radiotherapy centre in the hospital, Vice-President’s wife, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, said the initiative is geared towards providing succour for cancer patients in terms of screening and treatment.

    Earlier this year, Prof. Adewole also inspected the cancer centre extension project and the newly-installed second cancer equipment at the National Hospital in Abuja. This was donated by SNEPCO Nigeria limited, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The new facilities, valued at more than $1 million, is said to have the capacity to treat at least one hundred patients daily. What this means is that the Abuja National Hospital can handle 200 cancer patients per day when the two machines at the centre are fully in use.

    After the installation of the second cancer equipment at the National Hospital, the health minister was ecstatic that the treatment available in the hospital is comparable to what is obtainable in other parts of the world. He was optimistic that cancer patients in Nigeria will only travel abroad for treatment by choice, not as a necessity to save lives.

    “The purpose of the building is to put in place a first-class treatment centre for cancer treatment in Nigeria, but our vision is not just to offer treatment to Nigerians but to people in West Africa. And we think what we have on the ground, we should be able to do that and when we offer treatment to non-Nigerians, we will be able to make money to keep the services going and also prevent people going out when such services are available in Nigeria,” he said.

    The minister also promised that the centre would receive a PEI/CT machine (an imaging device for cancer diagnosis and treatment), adding that the cost of treatment  will depend on the type of cancer. He, however, added that the government would keep revising the cost of treatment to make it affordable.

    While arguing that cancer treatment in Nigeria has no fixed cost, he said cost depends on the degree of the illness and the type. “When we started, we were giving 50 per cent rebate, which is less than what it would cost for you to fly to India and the cost will be continually revised to make sure that people can afford it. Even when you cannot afford it, we will not deny you treatment but find money to support you,” he added.

    While reiterating government’s commitment towards reducing the cancer burden in the country, he said the on-going phased installation of cancer treatment machines in the country shows that government is doing everything to actualise its dream of having one cancer treatment centre at each of the six geo-political zones of the country, in addition to the nine other cancer centres in the country.

    Nigeria’s frightening cancer statistics

    In recent years, Nigeria has been plagued by increasing cases of people afflicted with cancer. It is a terminal disease that kills people in large numbers, while many are still battling for survival. The most common in Nigeria for women are breast cancer, cervix cancer ovarian cancer, and colorectal cancer, while prostate cancer, liver cancer, and colorectal cancer are some of the most common cases in men.

    The annual harvest of deaths has been huge. In its ground-breaking rapid assessment of the prevention and control of cancer report last year, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA) said cancer is responsible for 72,000 deaths in Nigeria every year. The report, being the first independent national research on cancer prevention, also claimed that Nigeria suffers about 102,000 new cancer cases annually.

    The report, which also contained recommendations on how to urgently improve and close gaps in cancer treatment and prevention system in the country, came on the heels of the launch of Nigeria’s Cancer Control Plan (NCCP) by the Federal Government.

    Also, going by the latest statistics from WHO, Nigeria is expected to have a 75 per cent increase in cancer-induced deaths by 2030. Being one of the low-medium income countries, Nigeria is predicted to suffer from the effects of the virus, WHO regional director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, said during the 2018 World Cancer Day commemoration.

    With medical centres lacking the diagnostic capacity to detect and treat cancer infections, many patients that afford overseas treatment hardly hesitate to travel to India and other countries with better medical facilities. The economic consequence of what is now referred to as medical tourism is that it has led to capital flight to the detriment of the nation’s health sector. Is the picture about to change?

  • Hope rises for cancer cure

    Nigeria may soon proffer solution to cancer, especially breast and prostate cancers, Nigerian Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA) Director-General (DG), Dr Sam Etatuvie, has said.

    He said the agency has received an information about a Nigerian, who is treating cancer patients.

    “As part of its statutory function, the NNMDA sought out the senior citizen. We got talking. He was convinced of our sincerity. And he has released the composition to us; clinical evaluation is ongoing,” said Etatuvie.

    Etatuvie broke the news when House Committee on Science and Technology members came to the agency as part of its oversight function.

    The DG explained that initially the senior citizen was reluctant to release the composition of the package. “But with persuasion, persistence, openeness, and trust, he eventually released same.

    “And because of his age, he engaged his son to be interacting with us on the paper works, including intellectual property rights. So, everything is ongoing to ensure all the steps are taken to prove it scientifically, before it is announced to the public.”

    Etatuvie said Nigeria has the plants that can cure terminal diseases, but that there was the need to fund the research into them.

    He appealed to the lawmakers to ensure that the agency is adequately funded to enable it step up its activities, considering its importance in realising the government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) and the National Strategy for Competitiveness in Raw Materials and Products Development in Nigeria.

    “The Asian countries, notably China, India, and the two Koreas, have been able to develop their traditional (indigenous) health systems to international standards. This has contributed significantly, not only to improved healthcare delivery, but also national economic growth and development,” said Etatuvie.

    He added that the African Union (AU) and World Health Organisation (WHO) have acknowledged the potential of natural medicine, that is why it is supporting  its development.

    “This was achieved by the establishment and adequate support to several, but unique and dedicated natural medicine research and development institutions, such as ours,” said Etatuvie.

    He told the Committee that Nigeria needs to emulate the above countries and tap into the natural provisions which abounding the country, not only for improved healthcare delivery, but also for job, and wealth creation, and contribute to national economic growth and development.

    Noting that the money given to the agency in the past was judiciously used, Etatuvie said his agency could boast of the Upgraded Production Unit (PDU) facility, which is automatic and can calibrate syrup and cream lines, rotary rvaporator, freeze bed dryer, and tea bagging machine.

    “This agency has engaged in research and in-house natural products for malaria, cough, erectile dysfunction, measles, and other skin problems.The new focus is the search for cancer herbal therapy from our indigenous herbs as explained earlier.

    ‘’The agency has been on this work for quite a while and, of recent, the laboratory analyses and anecdotal reports has shown that the product has positive activities against cancer of the prostate and the breast. However, further clinical evaluation is required before the detail report will be made public. The new laboratory complex under construction will house the Cancer Unit,” explained Etatuvie.

    Etatuvie appealed for more funds to enable the agency to achieve more. “This year, the amount appropriated was N802, 710, 432; amounts released was N130, 271, 043.20; while we utilised N36, 015, 000, meaning 16.23 per cent was released,” he said.

    The Committee’s Chairman, Hon. Beni Lar, praised the agency for sticking to its mission of promoting natural medicine.

    “In this, you have passed, and it is in pursuance of the vision for the establishment of this agency, which is to be an internationally recognised research, development, documentation and promotion institute for the country’s natural medicine knowledge, products, practice, and work to facilitate its integration into the national healthcare delivery. To also contribute to job, wealth creation and national socio-economic growth and development of the country,” said Hon. Lar.

    She challenged the agency to stick to its mandate of research, collating, document developing and promoting the county’s natural medicine, which is defined as, “indigenous (traditional) health systems, medication and non medication healing arts, science and technology to assist contribute to improved healthcare delivery, wealth and job creation and national economic growth and development. The cancer treatment you are working on is good and gladdening still that you are following scientists laid down protocols. In all these, you have passed very well, assured Hon.

  • Hope rises for early passage of N7.30tr 2017 budget

    •Fed Govt’s MTEF ready for approval soon

    There is hope of a smoother and early passage of the N7.30 trillion 2017 budget. A senior Senate official was quoted as saying that the Federal Government of Nigeria’s 2017 to 2019 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) could be ready for approval and passage soon.
    Report from FBN Capital, an investmóent and research arm of FBN Holdings, said the approval will ginger the Senate to quickly consider passing the budget.
    “This would be the fastest budget process for several years, bringing forward capital releases and therefore the FGN’s contribution to lifting the economy out of recession. The National Assembly supports the expansionary fiscal stance but is capable of delaying tactics,” it said.
    Federal Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udo Udoma, had said the FGN’s proposal for 2017 of aggregate expenditure of N7.30 trillion was not expansionary relative to the figure of N6.06 trillion in the 2016 budget, adjustment for the exchange rate is made.
    The research firm said it will, however be expansionary when N2.42 trillion in first half 2016 and make allowances for a pick-up in disbursements once the budget had been finally approved and signed off in May.
    “We support the FGN’s fiscal stance since monetary policy was unable to deliver due to the textbook focus on inflation and weak transmission mechanisms. The FGN has shifted its average exchange-rate assumption for 2017 from N290 to N305 per dollar in line with the interbank market. We may well doubt that this will prove the year’s average. That said, we cannot expect the FGN to assume a weaker rate than today’s since it does not have a formal objective and would be foolish to “show its hand” to the market,” it said.
    It said within the financing of the projected N2.36 trillion deficit, the FGN is now to borrow N1.25 trillion and N1.07 trillion respectively from domestic and external sources rather than the earlier projections of N1.07 trillion and N1.34 trillion
    This is inconsistent with the Debt Management Office’s medium term strategy of borrowing more externally than domestically in pursuit of a 40/60 mix in the FGN’s debt obligations. “The yield on the July ’23 Eurobond of 6.9 per cent compares favourably with more than 16 per cent on a FGN naira bond of similar tenor. The comparison is better still when we note that most external financing is contracted on concessionary terms at +/-2.0 per cent,” the report said.
    “However, the changes to the borrowing projections are realistic, given the difficulties the FGN has experienced securing external finance for its 2016 budget. These difficulties with the World Bank and the African Development Bank would be greatly diminished if the FGN accepted IMF loans. Such a step remains off the agenda, however,” it added.

  • Hope rises for IDPs as EFCC signs MoU with WFP

    Hope rises for IDPs as EFCC signs MoU with WFP

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Food Programme (WFP) to protect the distribution of food aids in the country against fraud.
    EFCC spokesman, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, who stated this in a statement, said the signing ceremony took place at the commission’s head office in Abuja.
    Under the MoU, EFCC officials are expected to closely monitor the implementation of WFP intervention programmes, including distribution of food aids to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North-East.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the development is coming amid reports of diversion of relief materials meant for IDPs by government officials.
    In September, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the police to arrest officials accused of involvement in the act.
    The EFCC Acting Chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu, pledged the commission’s support for WFP to ensure that its donations and those
    of the government reached their beneficiaries free of corruption.
    Magu stated that the EFCC-WFP partnership would greatly help in alleviating the sufferings of internally displaced people especially in the northern part of the country.
    “We assure you that we will follow you to every nook and cranny of the North Eastern states such as Yobe, Borno and Adamawa.
    “We will be with you whereever you need our attention. If there are no operatives where you are, we will send you operatives from here.
    “We will support and work with your intervention to reach its beneficiaries without any threat of corruption,’’ the statement quoted him as saying.
    Mr Bernadin Assiene, the WFP Director of Inspections and Investigations, noted that that the MoU was an important aspect of WFP’s intervention in Nigeria.
    Its main objective, according to him, is to ensure that all the support mobilised by the programme does not only effectively reach the target beneficiaries but also corruption-free.
    Assiene described the MoU as first of its kind and a confirmation that the EFCC was the right partner to help WFP to establish specific assurance mechanisms in Nigeria.
    “EFCC’s expertise, reputation and track record of successful engagements in the fight against fraud and corruption in the utilisation of foreign assistance is well recognised, both nationally and internationally,’’ he said.
    Mr Sory Ouane, the WFP Representative and Country Director, explained how the WFP had provided intervention to the North-East through its intervention programme, assuring that it would continue.
    “The ongoing conflict in northeast Nigeria has the potential to cause further displacement and increase food insecurity.
    “Therefore, WFP is revising its emergency operations to implement a robust scale up and an integrated response to meet the overwhelming needs in northeast Nigeria.
    “We are targeting 1.8 milllion people in Borno and Yobe in 2017,’’ Ouane said, according to the statement.
    While Magu signed the MoU on behalf of the EFCC, Assiene signed for the WFP, the statement added

  • Hope rises as oil price exceeds $65

    Hope rises as oil price exceeds $65

    There is hope for African oil producers, especially Nigeria whose economy’s mainstay is oil,  as prices jumped to $65.53 per barrel (bbl) last weekend.

    The price is expected to hit $70 a barrel in the near future if the market continues to go south. The development, which is the first since June, last year  when the price of crude oil fell from a high of $115 per barrel to as low as $43 per barrel, will boost earnings of oil producing countries.

    Analysts from Energy Information Agency (EIA) attributed the rise in price to volatilities, occasioned by low production of United States’ shale oil and the disruption in Libya’s oil production, among others.

    The United States’ based agency said the issue will trigger production of oil in the 12-member countries of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), as well as impacting on their earnings.

    It said: “Rising oil prices will see producers increasing their production and boosting their earnings for economic growth. However, oil producing nations should try as much as possible to moderate production because any attempt to over supply crude will affect prices. There is the need to prevent prices of crude oil from sliding or falling now that the market is picking.”

    It added that the market would recap at $70 if the tempo of activities in the global oil market is sustained.

    OPEC, in its April  monthly report, said prices are tumbling and rising in response to the happenings in the market, adding that prices would  rebound to the level they were before the free fall.

    The issue, experts said, signifies hope for Nigeria, which generates 70 per cent of its earnings from crude oil export to facilitate socio-economic growth. A professor of Energy Economics with the University of Ibadan, Adeola Akinnisiju, said things are looking up for Nigeria going by the gradual recovery of oil prices in recent times.

    He said the country runs a mono-economy since it strongly depends on oil for its budgetary financing.

    He said: “Easing fiscal burdens occasioned by fall in prices of crude oil is the major concern and priority of the Federal Government. Since Nigeria has failed to diversify its economy and has consistently relied on oil for financing its capital and recurrent expenditure, it would definitely grab any opportunity that presents itself with both hands. The steely rise in crude oil price is an opportunity, which the government would like to utilise for growth.”

    Also, a lecturer at Pan African University, Dr Austin Nweze, said the   fiscal growth of the country is tied to the sales of crude oil.  He said the prayer of the Federal Government is that crude oil price should  increase rapidly to enable it fund critical socio-economic projects.

    He said the fall in crude oil prices is affecting the nation’s economy, adding that a rise in price of oil is a welcome development.

    He expalined that the government’s inability to grow the economy was as a result of the dwindling oil price, which started last year.

    The declining oil price has caused fiscal and administrative challenges including government’s failure to arrive at an agreeable benchmark for the budget.

     

  • Hope rises as eight ships laden with fuel arrive at Lagos ports

    Hope rises as eight ships laden with fuel arrive at Lagos ports

    AN end may be in sight to the lingering fuel scarcity, it was learnt yesterday.  Eight ships, laden with petroleum products have arrived at the Lagos ports, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said.

    According to NAN, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) made the disclosure yesterday in its daily publication, ‘Shipping Position.’

    The petroleum products include base oil, kerosene and petrol, the publication said, adding that three other ships also arrived with rice in bags and containers.

    It said that NPA was expecting the arrival of 27 ships to the Lagos ports between May 4 and May 30.

    The publication explained that 13 of the expected ships will sail in with containers and eight others will arrive with food products.

    It listed the food products as rice, bulk sugar, bulk salt, frozen fish and buckwheat.

    The publication stated that four ships will ferry in general cargoes and one ship each will bring in vehicles and kerosene.