Rivers Govt, health experts advocate early detection, affordable care to reduce cancer deaths

The Rivers State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing the burden of cancer through strengthened healthcare systems, preventive strategies and improved access to quality treatment.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh, stated this on Wednesday while marking the 2026 World Cancer Day, observed globally on February 4 with the theme ‘United by Unique’.

She said the annual commemoration provides an opportunity to raise awareness, promote prevention and renew collective action against cancer.

Oreh noted that cancer remains a leading cause of illness and death worldwide but stressed that many forms of the disease are preventable or can be successfully treated if detected early.

According to her, this reality underscores the importance of sustained public awareness, early detection and equitable access to healthcare services.

She said the state government is implementing effective policies, strengthening health infrastructure and partnering with relevant stakeholders to improve cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment.

“Our focus includes expanding screening and diagnostic services, ensuring treatment is accessible and affordable, and investing in the training of healthcare professionals and the upgrading of health facilities,” she said.

Emphasizing prevention, the commissioner urged residents to adopt healthy lifestyles, including avoiding tobacco use, limiting alcohol consumption, eating healthy diets and engaging in regular physical activity.

She also encouraged routine medical check-ups, noting that “early detection saves lives, especially for cancers such as breast, cervical, prostate and colorectal cancer.”

Oreh called on residents to take advantage of available screening services and to overcome fear, stigma and misinformation associated with cancer.

“As we observe World Cancer Day, let us unite to close the cancer gap and ensure that every resident of Rivers State has access to timely, affordable and quality cancer care,” she said.

Meanwhile, at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, where a commemoration seminar was held, the Chief Medical Director of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, RSUTH, Professor Chizindu Alikor, said the 2026 World Cancer Day theme underscores the need to treat cancer care as both a scientific and human-centred responsibility.

He noted that although cancer is often discussed as a single disease, each patient’s experience is different, requiring compassion and collaboration across the health system.

“While cancer may be one word, it is experienced in countless ways, and every patient has a story and a future worth fighting for,” Alikor said.

He added that sustained collaboration among clinicians, researchers, policymakers and communities is essential to improving prevention, early detection and access to quality treatment.

Also speaking, Dr Rex Idja of the Surgery Department, RSUTH, highlighted the practical challenges of cancer care in the state, particularly high treatment costs, late presentation and widespread misconceptions.

He disclosed that the hospital recorded over a thousand cancer cases between 2021 and 2024, stressing that cancer is a growing burden in routine clinical practice.

Idja said many patients still regard cancer as a death sentence or attribute it to spiritual causes, which fuels stigma and delays hospital presentation.

“Cancer is not a death sentence; we have seen patients who presented early, completed treatment and are living healthy lives many years later,” he said.

He called for improved public education, stronger community engagement, multidisciplinary care and the creation of a dedicated cancer fund to support indigent patients.

A cancer survivor and founder of the Healthy Sabir Foundation, Adebayo Fudjo, shared her personal testimony, urging residents not to allow fear or misinformation to prevent them from seeking care.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, she said early detection and prompt treatment saved her life.

“I am alive today because I detected a lump early and returned immediately to the hospital to begin treatment,” she said.

Fudjo emphasized that faith and medicine can work together, adding that “cancer can be survived if it is detected early and treated promptly,” while encouraging the public to listen to medical advice and take screening seriously.

Rivers Govt, health experts advocate early detection, affordable care to reduce cancer deaths