President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the ultra-modern Cancer Centre at the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS), Uburu in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi.
Tinubu, who inaugurated the centre on Saturday at the university complex, described it as one of the best cancer centres in Nigeria.
The President who was represented by Chief David Umahi, Minister of Works and the immediate past governor of Ebonyi State donated 2000 kilo watts of regular power supply to the institution.
The president said that his administration would continue to support the university to achieve its cardinal vision of being a centre of excellence in medical and health sciences in order to eliminate medical tourism in Nigeria.
“This institution without regular power is no institution, we will ensure that more lands are acquired to accommodate the structure,” the president said.
Earlier, Prof. Jesse Uneke, the Vice-Chancellor of the university in his welcome address, thanked the president for his commitment to infrastructure development in the university.
He described the cancer centre as a state-of-the -arts centre of excellence for cancer research, training and patient care.
The VC said that the centre was operating with a multi-disciplinary team of experts specialising in conducting research and training on cancer related issues and caring for people with cancer disease.
“The centre conducts and supports research, training, dissemination and other programmes related to the cause, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancer, rehabilitation from cancer and continuing care of cancer patients and families of cancer patients,” Uneke said.
He said that according to a 2022 report from the World Health Organisation Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCON), a total of 127,763 number of new cases of cancer were reported in Nigeria.
Uneke explained that out of the number, 48,096, representing 37.6 per cent were males while 76,667 representing 62.4 per cent were females.
The VC further said that the report indicated that the number of cancer related deaths stood at 79,542 of which 33,905, representing 41.4 per cent were males while 46,637, representing 58.6 per cent were females.
“The top three leading cancers in males in Nigeria ranked by the number of deaths are prostate cancer; colorectum and liver cancer while in females; top three leading cancer deaths are caused by breast cancer, cervix uterus and colorectum cancer,” he added.
He said that a total of 207 cancer patients had been treated at the centre, adding that 88 patients were male cancer patients while 119 were female cancer patients.
“A total of 107 patients are aged between 40 and 69 years old. The commonest cancers are breast cancer, cancer of the cervix and cancer of head/neck,” the VC added.
