By Angela Atabo
The Akanimo Cancer Foundation in partnership with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) Foundation have unveiled its first Rural Childhood Cancer Sensitisation and Free Eye Screening programme for children aged 1–18.
The National Coordinator of Akanimo Cancer Foundation, Dr Idorenyin Usoh, made this known at the inaugural event at the Etim Ekpo Model Healthcare Centre in Akwa Ibom.
Usoh said the event which brought together participants across Etim Ekpo, Abak, Ika, Ibiono and Uyo Local Government Areas was part of activities to commemorate the Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM).
She said that the event was in a determined effort to combat childhood cancer and bridge the healthcare awareness gap in underserved communities by putting the children in the rural communities first.
According to her, every year, nearly half a million children worldwide are diagnosed with cancer but the statistics does not include children who die undiagnosed in economies like Nigeria.
She explained that among the diagnosed, the childhood cancer survival rate in Nigeria is just about 20 per cent compared to over 80 per cent in high-income countries.
“Even more sadly, many die undiagnosed. This is not because childhood cancer is more aggressive in Nigeria, but because access to timely diagnosis, effective treatment, and supportive care are a privilege and not a right.
“As a grassroot organisation working among these families daily, we boldly state that childhood cancer is a silent crisis in Nigeria.
“Akanimo Cancer Foundation,a Childhood Cancer, NGO was formed out of grief occasioned by the loss of our 12-year-old son to cancer who died on Christmas Day 2019 thereby birthing in us a passion to fight to save Nigerian Children from the rising scorch of cancer.
“Our mission is to create awareness for childhood cancer, support children with cancer to access treatment, support families of children with cancer to navigate this challenging journey, and support the efforts for new treatment and cures.”
Usoh said that the Akanimo Cancer Foundation,envisioned a future where no child in the country has to forgo life-saving care due to financial constraints, lack of awareness, or inadequate facilities.
She said that since the foundation’s inception, it has focused on three core goals of raising awareness through the media, offering financial and psychosocial assistance to children with cancer and their families.
She added that the foundation also advocates for change and supporting research by partnering with stakeholders to improve the healthcare system, advocate for better policies, and ensure equitable access to pediatric cancer care.
“Having successfully implemented awareness programs in some of Nigerian’s major cities and connected deeply with the public, we realized the need to reach farther, deeper and engage children and families in the rural communities.
“We are not only here to give them knowledge; we are here to plant in them a powerful belief that childhood cancer is not a death sentence but a battle that can be won.
“We want them to rise with courage, to stand as living proof of strength and become ambassadors of hope, not people living in fear of the word “CANCER”,”she said.
She added that including the free eye screening in the event,was a demonstration that with knowledge, vigilance, and timely care, children would be given the chance to grow, thrive and live beyond fear.
Delivering her address, Managing Director of NNPC Foundation, Emmanuella Arukwe, said the Foundation was proud to stand with rural communities on a cause that touches at the heart of human dignity.
Arukwe, represented by Eno Okon, said that the NNPC Foundation was established in 2023 as the social impact arm of NNPC Limited, had delivered impactful programmes in education, environment, youth empowerment and health.
“At NNPC Limited, we believe that health is a critical factor in social development. Every child, regardless of background or geography, deserves a chance at life, at health, and at hope,” she said.
She added that NNPC Foundation supported Akanimo Cancer Foundation on a symposium to drive awareness of cancer-related conditions amongst children.
She said in 2024, the Foundation provided free cancer screening for 3,441 Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones and restored eyesight for over 6,000 Nigerians through free cataract surgeries and provided glaucoma screening nationwide.
Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP), Dr Uche Nwokwu, said that early detection was the major way childhood cancer would properly be treated.
“Once picked up on time and treatment commenced, children’s cancers are among the most curable. This is why we insist—early detection truly saves lives.”
He cautioned against the culture of denial and fatalism, “Poor awareness and the ‘not my portion’ syndrome remain a major problem. Many present late, when it is too late.
He said the Federal Government was partnering with the World Health Organisation under the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer Care to provide subsidised treatment for children.
The Chairman of Etim Ekpo LGA,Gideon Uwah, represented by the Supervisory Councilor for Health, Udosen Monday, said the council appreciated the intervention.
“This is a good social intervention for our people. Without health, these children cannot go to school.
“On behalf of the Chairman, we appreciate you and urge NNPC Foundation to also come in partnership with Etim Ekpo LGA to strengthen our health centres,” he said.
A Pediatrician at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Dr Iniobong Udo, said the triggers for cancer in children cannot really be pinpointed as could be done in some adult.
Udo however, said that a child stands 80 per cent chance of being cured of cancer if detected early.
The Director, Etim Ekpo Model Healthcare Centre, represented by Magdalene Udoka, said the programme was critical to educational outcomes.
“If a child is not healthy, that child cannot go to school, cannot meet up with others. I thank Akanimo Cancer Foundation for coming down to the rural area to see that our children benefit,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event ended with free screenings for over 1,000 children from the participating LGAs, with referrals issued for advanced care.(NAN)