FG laments increasing cases of breast cancer in Nigeria
Dr. Osagie EhanireThe Honourable Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire has expressed concern over the country’s increasing breast cancer rate. He made this known at the opening of the 2020 edition of the Annual International Cancer Week in Abuja on Tuesday, October 27, 2020
According to him, reports from the Nigerian National System of Cancer Registries showed that breast cancer in Nigeria increased significantly between 1960 and 2016, urging women to undergo regular screening.
“Between 1960 and 1969 only 13.7 percent out of 100,000 women in Nigeria had breast cancer; the figure rose to 24.7 percent women out of 100,000 women between 1990 and 1999.
“An average of 26.1 percent in 100,000 women in the country had breast cancer between 2000 and 2016.
The Minister expressed his distraught at the ‘gory statistics,’ which has shown that cancer has become an emerging disease in Nigeria, and a severe public health concern. “Breast cancer has remained the commonest cancer in Nigeria for a long time, and the incidence is still on the increase.”
He urged women to go for regular screening.