NGO seeks government backing to expand cancer care

Abimbola Joseph

A Non-Governmental Organisation, Go After Care Initiative, has urged governments at all levels to strengthen support for palliative care to reduce avoidable deaths among cancer patients.

The coordinator of the NGO, Mrs Ufeoma Nehemiah, appealed on Thursday in Ikorodu during a sensitisation programme on palliative care held at the Ikorodu Local Government Secretariat, Lagos.

Palliative care for cancer patients is a specialised medical service that focuses on improving quality of life by managing pain, stress and other symptoms associated with the disease and its treatment.

Nehemiah said the organisation is committed to taking palliative care to the grassroots, noting that her passion for the initiative grew after observing Uganda’s community-based palliative care system.

“We need to take palliative care to the community so people can receive support in the comfort of their homes,” she said.

She explained that palliative care can be offered at any stage of cancer to address the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of patients and their families.

According to her, the advocacy aims to empower communities with knowledge about palliative care, how to support patients and how to help them make informed treatment decisions.

Nehemiah thanked the Lagos State Government for embracing the initiative and called for more involvement in training caregivers, stressing that the NGO cannot shoulder the burden alone.

She added that the organisation plans to take its sensitisation campaign to all local governments and local council development areas (LCDAs) in the state to deepen awareness.

“We are happy that the people of Ikorodu are embracing this, especially with recent research showing that Ikorodu has one of the highest cancer incidences,” she said.

Nehemiah noted that residents are eager to support the initiative and help those battling the disease, adding that the campaign will intensify across all LCDAs to reinforce awareness of palliative care.