Health Experts Urge Nigeria to Scale Up Cancer-Preventing Vaccines Amid Rising Epidemic

Call for Science-Driven Strategies to Reduce Cancer Mortality

Health experts in Nigeria are urging federal authorities to adopt innovative, science-backed strategies—particularly preventive vaccines—to combat the country’s growing cancer crisis. At a recent policy designathon, specialists emphasized that scaling up vaccines like the human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B (HBV) could significantly reduce cancer-related deaths, especially among women and vulnerable populations.

Bridging the Research-Policy Gap

Professor Juliet Iwelunmor from the Washington University School of Medicine criticized Nigeria’s persistent gap between cancer research and policy implementation. She noted that 50% of cancer research never translates into actionable policies, leading to preventable deaths. “Before the end of today, 22 Nigerian women will die of cervical cancer—a disease that is preventable through vaccination and screening,” she warned.

Despite existing policy frameworks, many studies on cervical and liver cancer remain unused, creating what Iwelunmor calls a “cycle of research waste.” She stressed that Nigeria’s ongoing revision of its national cancer control policies must involve communities to ensure practical, effective solutions.

Preventable Cancers Demand Urgent Action

Dr. Folahanmi Akinsolu, a research fellow at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, echoed these concerns, stating that cervical and liver cancers are largely preventable. He called for stronger collaboration between researchers and policymakers to implement life-saving interventions.

The Policy4Cancer Designathon, organized by C3-RISE and partners, aimed to bridge this divide by fostering teamwork among researchers, health workers, and civil society. Six teams—Team NICRAT, Team CanReAct, Team ARISE, Team ECHO, Team Trident, and Team R2P—competed to develop innovative cancer control strategies.

Winning Solution to Drive Policy Change

Team CanReAct emerged victorious, securing a N1 million grant to implement their strategy for targeted information dissemination among communities, researchers, and policymakers. Their approach focuses on ensuring evidence-based policies reach those most affected by cancer.

Experts agree that Nigeria must prioritize preventive healthcare and leverage vaccines to curb the cancer epidemic. Without urgent action, preventable cancers will continue to claim lives unnecessarily.

Full credit to the original publisher: The Guardian Nigeria