The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, and his team on Wednesday began free cancer screening for the first 1,000 individuals at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki. The Minister, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Daju Kachollom, said the event was a nationwide exercise to mark the 2026 World Cancer Day, adding that the disease accounts for nearly 10,000 deaths annually in Nigeria. He disclosed the ministry’s plan to offer treatment to patients diagnosed during the screening, stressing that early detection saves lives, reduces financial hardship for families, and improves national productivity. “Under the present administration, we are strengthening healthcare services, expanding the health i...