WAR AGAINST CANCER IN NIGERIA!
‘Oronto Douglas, World’s Most Influential African Thinker suffered Stomach Cancer’…2000 Nigerians die yearly of this disease
Revealed: ‘First Nigerian Environmentalist to present Niger-Delta Struggle in White House’
*’He died when we needed him most’–President Goodluck Jonathan
*“10 Nigerians die of Cancer every Hour’–INVESTIGATION
*‘Stomach cancer, also called Gastric cancer is third digestive killer cancer in Nigeria, after liver and colon cancer ‘–Dr. Abia Nzelu, Executive Secretary, CECP-Nigeria
*PLUS: 10 Cancer Related Killer Diseases inside mentioned
* Awareness: National Cancer Week commences June 7-14, 2015
BY GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU, CNN iReport NORTH AMERICA & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, NAIJA STANDARD
HE lived a short, and fulfilled life on earth. Oronto Douglas, an accomplished intellectual activist, an environmentalist full of cerebral acumen. He lived a life of an open book, with good governance, accountability and quality service to the electorates as his mantra. He was dedicated to his work, faithful to his chosen profession and never soiled his hard-earned reputation before and even after his death. This Bayelsan born politician with few months to his birthday relentlessly fought death, and eventually died of Stomach cancer barely 3 weeks after arrival from United States where he had earlier gone on medication and was told he had few weeks to live.
No wonder, after his demise, far away in University of California, United States, Oronto is still been celebrated and regarded only Nigerian amongst World’s most influential 20 thinkers due to his high level of intelligent quotient, cerebral index and ability to always follow due process to create a solution to every human challenge. He was a fighter, who never succumb to failure; one who was always positive about life, seen challenges as avenues for victories in human journey.
Oronto Douglas died of Stomach Cancer
iReport gathered that the recent premature demise of Oronto, Nigeria’s highly cerebral and accomplished lawyer to stomach cancer at the age of 49 calls for a reflection on the cancer scourge in Nigeria. As at today, over 100,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed every year in Nigeria and about 240 Nigerians die of cancer every day. This implies that on the same day that Oronto died, 240 other Nigerians also died of cancer, unsung but not unloved. This number excludes so many others who die of cancer in rural areas without ever being diagnosed due to poor diagnostic facilities. More’s the pity that most of these deaths are preventable, given early detection.
According to Dr. Abia Nzelu, Executive Secretary, Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy,
CECP-Nigeria, he explained in a press statement that “Stomach cancer, also called gastric cancer, is
the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the world (after lung and liver cancer),
accounting for approximately 723 000 deaths in 2012. It is the third most common digestive
cancer in Nigeria (after liver and colon cancer). About 2000 Nigerians die every year of stomach cancer.
“Stomach cancer is cancer that occurs in the stomach. To the layman, the word stomach refers to the
area of the body between the chest and the pelvic area. However, the medical term for this area
is the abdomen. The stomach is a hollow, muscular sac that is connected to the esophagus (food pipe)
at its top and the first section of the small intestine (duodenum) at its bottom. It is located in the
middle part of the upper abdomen, just below the ribs. Its main function is to break down solid
food into semi-solid, using stomach acid. This makes it easier for the rest of the digestive system to
absorb nutrients from food.”
In Abia’s word: “Stomach cancer tends to develop slowly over many years. Before a true cancer
develops, pre-cancerous changes often occur in the inner lining (mucosa) of the stomach. These
early changes rarely cause symptoms and therefore often go undetected.
“Infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the primary identified cause of gastric cancer.
Other risk factors for stomach cancer include older age; male sex; a diet high in salted, smoked, or
poorly preserved foods and low in fruits and vegetables; tobacco smoking; being overweight or
obese; pernicious anemia; a history of stomach surgery for non-cancerous diseases such as ulcers;
some types of stomach polyps (non-cancerous growths on the lining of the stomach), and a family
history of stomach cancer among others.
“H. pylori is a bacterium that spreads through contaminated food and water and through direct
mouth-to-mouth contact. In most populations, it is first acquired during childhood. Infection is more
likely in poor children living in crowded conditions, and in areas with poor sanitation. H. pylori
causes stomach cancer by converting substances in some foods into chemicals that cause mutations
(error) in the DNA of the cells in the stomach lining. This may also explain why certain foods
increase a person’s risk for stomach cancer. Long-term infection of the stomach, may lead to
inflammation (called chronic atrophic gastritis) and pre-cancerous changes of the inner lining of the
stomach and subsequently cancer. H pylori infection is also linked to some types of lymphoma
of the stomach.”
The risk of stomach cancer could therefore, be significantly reduced by adopting healthy lifestyle
choices such as use of refrigeration for food storage rather than preserving foods by salting,
pickling, and smoking, intake of fresh fruits and vegetables which contain antioxidants that
can block substances that damage a cell’s DNA, avoiding smoking, ensuring a healthy weight and
above all, early detection of infection with H. pylori, and treatment of the infection with antibiotics.
For the Records
iReport gathered Gastric cancer used to be the leading cause of cancer deaths in the world until the
1980s when it was overtaken by lung cancer and recently, liver cancer. Similarly, until the late
1930s, stomach cancer was the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, US. However, there
has been dramatic decline of stomach cancer in the U.S. in the past several decades due to
widespread implementation of the above stated measures. We can also significantly reduce its
incidence in Nigeria through widespread awareness on its preventive measures and by making
screening and treatment of H. pylori infection, as well as endoscopic diagnosis of early stomach
cancer, widely available. These can be achieved through the use of Mobile Cancer Centres (MCC),
which is the current goal of the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP-Nigeria).
10 Cancer-related Killer diseases Exposed
This scribe of CECP-Nigeria stated that “CECP-Nigeria is an initiative co-promoted by six of the core
bodies of the Organized Private Sector in Nigeria. The flagship focal cause of CECP is the
“Big War Against Cancer and the Ten Major Cancer-related killer diseases are: Diabetes,
Renal Disease, Obesity, Malaria, Schistosomiasis, Helicobacter pylori, Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS,
Human Papillomavirus and Hypertension”.
Going by CECP-Nigeria: “The specific goal is to raise funds to acquire and deploy 37 Mobile
Cancer Centres (MCC), one for each state and FCT, Abuja. This will take holistic health
promotion to the grassroots of Nigeria. Each MCC costs USD 600,000 whilst the operational cost
per 100,000 participants is USD 685,000. This covers the cost of screening for cancer and its risk
factors as well as for treating pre-cancer and early cancer free-of- charge.
“The operational partner of the CECP is the National Cancer Prevention Programme, NCPP, a
non-governmental initiative of mass medical mission, MMM. NCPP is the foremost and major
effort towards national cancer control in Nigeria. NCPP’s sacrificial effort has contributed to
a 15% reduction of cervical cancer deaths in Nigeria from 26 women dying daily to 22 daily
between 2008 and 2012 (W.H.O. data). Thereby, reversing the earlier projection of W.H.O that
cervical cancer death rate would increase by 25% within 10 years, in the absence of
widespread intervention. This success story is a proof that we could win the BIG WAR Against
Cancer if we could scale up the present effort using MCC.
“To actualize its vision, the CECP is currently involved in a fund-raising campaign, known
as the #GivingTide. The #GivingTide is managed by a team made up of some of Nigeria’s
trusted and dedicated corporate leaders, led by Prof. Pat Utomi.
Awareness: National Cancer Week commences June 7-14, 2015
iReport can tell you that one of the highpoints of the #GivingTide is the National Cancer
Week, NCW, an advocacy week on the BIG WAR. Every year, the NCW starts on the first Sunday
in June marked as International Cancer Survivors’ Day all over the world and ends on the second
Sunday in June. The Anchor of the NCW is Dr. Christopher Kolade, CON. This year’s National Cancer
Week will commence on June 7, 2015. The climax of the Week is on Sunday, June 14, 2015, and
will take the form of a Banquet Of Stars Against Cancer (The ‘Centurions Conclave’), an exclusive
event for Nigeria’s philanthropists who would make transformational donation towards the Big War
Against Cancer. This will hold at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Other activities lined up for the NCW include: Sunday, June 7, 2015 (International Cancer Survivors’
Day) – Stars in the Church Against Cancer (Advocacy & Fund-Raising in Churches); Monday; June 8,
2015 – Rising Stars Against Cancer (Advocacy & Fund-Raising by Youth & Students); Tuesday,
June 9, 2015: Stars in Media Against Cancer (Advocacy & Fund-Raising by Media/IMC
Sector); Wednesday, June 10, 2015- Open Day (DIY day); Thursday, June 11, 2015- Stars at Work
Against Cancer (Advocacy & Fund-Raising in Offices); Friday, June 12, 2015- Stars in the Mosque
Against Cancer (Advocacy & Fund-Raising by Mosques) and Saturday, June 13, 2015- Stars at Play
Against Cancer (Advocacy & Fund-Raising through Entertainment & Sports).
‘Douglas, one of World’s most Influential Thinkers/Voices’-University of California
Douglas was one of Nigeria’s greatest thinker-activists; he was the only Nigerian listed by the
Institute of International Studies, University of California, USA as one of the world’s 20 most
influential thinkers and voices. He was the first Nigerian environmental activist to be received by a
serving American President, when he presented the Niger-Delta struggle at the White House to
President Bill Clinton. That golden voice has now been silenced by cancer, but by his harrowing
experience Oronto yet speaks, albeit posthumously, appealing to us to heed the clarion call of the
CECP. If we could listen with our inner ear, we would hear Oronto pointing out that it is in our
enlightened best interest for MCC to be available in Nigeria, thereby helping to prevent cancer with
readily available and accessible facilities.
‘He died when we needed him most’–President Goodluck Jonathan
Nigeria’s President, Goodluck Jonathan lamented during the funeral of Oronto when he said “Oronto
died when he was most needed. He was the only one that ensured all my activities in Aso Rock were all documented. That is why till date, I am the most documented president ever in Nigeria’s history”.
Truly, one act of goodness that could redeem the tragedy of Oronto’s death would be for Oronto’s
friends and colleagues to honor one of their own by donating an MCC in his memory. For Oronto
Douglas it is too late; but such a gesture would mean that other Nigerians would have a better
chance of living cancer-free lives, and to see their children, as well as grand kids.
