By Hassan Hussain
The Federal Government has reconstituted the National Task Force Committee on Cervical Cancer Elimination as part of efforts to accelerate the elimination of the disease as a public health problem in Nigeria by 2030.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, who inaugurated the reconstituted committee in Abuja, urged members to intensify nationwide screening, early diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer.
Dr Salako explained that the reconstitution became necessary following new national and international responsibilities undertaken by the former chairman, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole, and the former vice-chairman, Dr Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu.
He commended the committee for its achievements since its establishment in August 2024, particularly the development of national screening guidelines, capacity building for healthcare workers and the mobilisation of partnerships and resources to support cervical cancer elimination.
The minister also acknowledged the advocacy and support of the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, which he said had helped mobilise leadership and financial resources towards achieving the national target.
Dr Salako urged the reconstituted committee to expand community-based screening services, strengthen the integration of screening with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and ensure timely diagnosis and treatment for women affected by the disease.
He reaffirmed the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s commitment to providing the policy direction and institutional support required to achieve the 2030 elimination target.
Dr Salako announced the Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr Salma Ibrahim Anas, as chairman of the reconstituted task force, while the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Prof. Usman Malami Aliyu, will serve as secretary.
In her acceptance remarks, Dr Anas pledged the total commitment of the task force to delivering on its assigned mandate.
She assured the minister that members would demonstrate dedication, strengthen collaboration and work collectively to achieve the committee’s objectives.
Dr Anas said the task force was committed to strengthening Nigeria’s response to cancer, with particular emphasis on prevention, early detection, treatment and care.
Earlier, the Director-General of NICRAT, Prof. Aliyu, disclosed that Nigeria recorded 13,676 new cases of cervical cancer and 7,093 deaths from the disease in 2022, underscoring the urgency of intensifying preventive and treatment measures.
Prof. Aliyu explained that the task force was established by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare through NICRAT in August 2024 to coordinate national efforts towards eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2030.
He identified the development of national screening guidelines, the establishment of the Platform for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer in Nigeria (PECCIN), and the activation of Imo State as a flagship for organised HPV DNA screening among the committee’s achievements.
The NICRAT director-general, however, stressed the need to strengthen implementation, institutional capacity and stakeholder coordination to translate existing commitments into measurable reductions in cervical cancer cases and deaths.
