The Federal Capital Territory has launched nine cancer care initiatives under the Abuja City Cancer Programme to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment across the city. The projects were inaugurated on Tuesday following over 30 months of planning and stakeholder consultations. Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, said the launch marked a shift from planning to implementation. She described the projects as evidence-based responses to gaps identified in the cancer care continuum. The initiatives cover health systems coordination, imaging, pathology, laboratory services, systemic therapy, radiotherapy, cancer surgery and quality of care. Fasawe said the framework aims to improve access to quality cancer services for Abuja residents. She acknowledged the burden of out-of-pocket payments, saying many low-income families resort to traditional or faith-based healing due to cost. Increased public education, she added, is vital to encourage timely medical care. Partners in the initiative include the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Medicaid Cancer Foundation, Clinton Health Access Initiative and City Cancer Challenge (C/Can). Sophie Bussmann-Kemdjo, C/Can's Director for Africa and Europe, said Abuja joined the global network in 2023, gaining technical support and a governance structure to oversee implementation. She said the goal is equitable, standardised cancer care across the city. Dr Uchechukwu Nwokwu, National Coordinator of the National Cancer Control Programme, confirmed the projects align with Nigeria's National Cancer Control Plan (2026–203). He highlighted patient navigation as a key challenge, with many patients abandoning treatment due to complex care pathways. Dr Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, founder of Medicaid Cancer Foundation, said the programme will improve access to diagnostic and treatment infrastructure.
Dr Adedolapo Fasawe says out-of-pocket cancer treatment costs are nearly impossible for low-income families, yet the new projects do not include direct funding for patients. The same officials highlighting treatment abandonment due to complex care pathways are now launching nine system-heavy initiatives that may deepen bureaucratic hurdles. If patient navigation remains a gap, layering nine new projects without simplifying access risks worsening the very problem they admit exists. The success of these projects hinges not on structure, but on whether a poor Abuja resident can actually reach care without selling assets.
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