The National Coordinator of the National Cancer Control Programme, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Uchechukwu Nwokwu, has said that children account for 7.2 percent of the 127,000 cancer cases recorded annually in Nigeria.
Nwokwu disclosed this at a public enlightenment on Childhood cancer in Abuja.
The event was organised by Akanimo Cancer Foundation in commemoration of the 2025 International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD).
According to him, “The current data shows that we have 127,000 cancer cases annually in Nigeria and out of which, 7.2 per cent are children.
“If you look at the cancers that are common among children, it is the leukemias.
“Adults also have leukemias, but the most common childhood cancers are the leukemias. it is about the fourth commonest cancer in adults.
“Coincidentally, children have more tendency to survive than the adults, because their systems are still very functional.
“They have the capacity to resist some of the side effects of the drugs used to treat them and they recover quite fast.Also, if they have the opportunity to do stem cell transplant, they can survive it,” Nwokwu said.
He added that with early diagnosis and access to treatment, the survival rate for childhood cancer is 80 per cent because their body systems have the capacity to respond to medication.
On the issue of government response to childhood cancer, the national coordinator said efforts were in place to include it in the Cancer Health Fund.
