Lagos (Nigeria): Roche Products Ltd. says it targets moving patients’ breast cancer treatment in Nigeria from 65 per cent being inadequately treated to 80 per cent receiving appropriate treatment by 2030.
The company’s General Manager, Dr Ladi Hamed, made this known at a workshop for journalists organised by the Health Writers Association of Nigeria (HEWAN) in partnership with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) on Tuesday in Lagos.
The two-day training workshop has the theme: “Elevating Science & Health Journalism”.
Represented by Mr Chidozie Osibie, Patient Journey Partner, Roche, Hamed said the company, along with its partners, had been dedicated to rewriting the story of breast cancer in Nigeria through the Africa Breast Cancer Ambition (ABCA).
He decried that estimated direct and indirect cost of breast cancer across 10 African countries, Nigeria inclusive was approximately $33 billion from 2017 – 2032.
According to him, ABACA seeks to transform women’s chance of survival by improving every stage of the breast cancer journey, saying that it plans to move from 30 – 40 per cent of women being diagnosed in the early stage to 60 per cent.
“ABCA targets to improve the five-year survival rate for women with breast cancer in Nigeria.
“The survival rate of five in 10 women surviving cancer, by 2030, our ambition is for eight in 10 women diagnosed with cancer to survive,” he said.
To achieve the targets, Hamed said that Roche engaged in Private-Public partnerships that seek to promote early detection of breast cancer, build care workforce capacity for accurate diagnosis, and reduce patients’ financial burden of treatment.
While lamenting the cost of cancer treatment, he advised that every woman register with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to ensure access to affordable treatment.
” NHIA and Roche signed an agreement to make cancer care more accessible and affordable in Nigeria.
“Through this cost-sharing partnership, financial responsibility is divided among the patient, NHIA and Roche, ensuring patients pay a minimal amount for their treatment.
“Hence, the need for every woman to be enrolled in the insurance scheme, so that anyone diagnosed with breast cancer does not have to sell house, land or property to pay for treatment,” Hamed said.
The Director of Research, NIMR, Dr Agatha David, decried the low survival rate of cancer in Nigeria compared with other countries.
David, who said that Non-communicable diseases were increasing in Nigeria, including HIV and TB, urged the citizens to prioritise vaccination and immunisation as a way of preventing contraction of some diseases.
She emphasised the need for improvement of cancer treatment in the country so that more patients would be alive after cancer treatment.
According to her, breastfeeding mothers should adopt exclusive breastfeeding as it goes a long way in improving the health outcomes of children.
Earlier, the President of HEWAN, Mrs Vivian Ihechu, described the workshop as a crucial capacity-building programme to sharpen the skills of Nigeria’s health journalists and to mark the 2025 Breast Cancer Awareness Month powerfully.
In her welcome speech, Ihechu said journalism was not just about reporting facts; it’s about saving lives.
She said, “In a country grappling with complex public health challenges, your expertise in translating scientific data into actionable public information is invaluable.
“This capacity-building programme is designed to equip you with the advanced tools necessary to cover disease outbreaks, policy changes, and treatment innovations with greater accuracy, depth, and impact.
“The global campaign against breast cancer sharpens our focus today. October serves as a critical annual reminder that this disease remains a devastating threat to our mothers, sisters, and daughters.
“As journalists, we bear the responsibility of moving beyond mere statistics.
“We must tell the stories of early detection, advocate for equitable access to screening and treatment, and, crucially, dispel the myths that prevent timely intervention”.