The Nigerian government has reaffirmed its commitment to improving health outcomes by prioritising cancer prevention and maternal health in its 2025 budget.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, made this known during a meeting with a delegation from the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), in Abuja on Thursday.
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Mr Salako emphasised the growing burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), including cancer, hypertension, and diabetes, and stressed that early detection and prevention will be key focus areas for the ministry in the upcoming budget.
“This year in our budget, we are focusing a lot of attention on cancer. A lot of that funding will go into prevention at both primary and secondary levels, including screening and population prevention,” he said.
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The minister also disclosed that the government had inaugurated the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative to tackle high maternal deaths, particularly in high-burden local government areas.
According to him, introducing low-cost technologies like ultrasound scans in maternal care will help drive more women to seek antenatal care, ultimately reducing mortality rates.
He commended CHAI for its partnership, emphasising that collaborations would enhance healthcare outcomes for Nigerians.
In her remark, CHAI’s Country Director, Olufunke Fasawe, detailed the organisation’s contributions to improving healthcare access in Nigeria.
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Ms Fasawe revealed that CHAI has supported over 20 cancer treatment centres across the country.
“The organisation worked with the Federal Ministry of Health to cut the cost of chemotherapy by 50 per cent to improve affordability. HPV screening for cervical cancer has been expanded, with over 57,000 women screened so far,” she said.
“CHAI successfully reduced the price of HPV test kits from 20 dollars to seven dollars, making screening more accessible to women.”
(NAN)
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