Health
Special Report-UMTH: Looking at the Cancer Center Under Professor Ahidjo’s Led Management Team (3)
Special Report-UMTH: Looking at the Cancer Center Under Professor Ahidjo’s Led Management Team (3)
By: James Bwala
As a way to wrap up this piece, let me mention that the management team of Professor Ahmed Ahidjo is actively working to provide Nigerians seeking assistance with cancer treatment with the greatest possible care. The CMD has taken concrete action and made public statements to support the training of doctors who specialize in clinical oncology and related fields. If only to find water, the CMD might go anywhere and crack the rock. An official count of oncology or general surgeons in Africa could not be located after searching through reports on cancer-related topics. In 2010, a thorough analysis of the literature from sub-Saharan Africa (except from South Africa) on the state of surgery in the region indicated that there were just under two surgeons for every 100,000 people living there. For comparison, there were more than 35 surgeons in the same number in England.
As a result, surgery and anesthesia were performed—and are still performed—in many district hospitals by non-physicians who received special training for the job. The majority of oncologic surgery was carried out by general surgeons in referral hospitals. According to the study, the large-scale emigration of medical school graduates and the lack of surgically specialized programs in many African nations were the main causes of the low number of surgeons in the region.
Many Nigerians are now wondering how Professor Ahmed Ahidjo was able to reach the ground under his leadership in hospital management at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, which prides itself as the “Centre of Excellence”. We also made inquiries. How many radiation facilities are currently operating in Africa? Are these covering the need for cancer therapy sufficiently? How many additional units will be necessary? And so on. Radiotherapy plays a major role in the curative arsenal of a cancer unit.
When examining the primary therapeutic approaches utilized to treat cancer patients, it was discovered that surgery was the primary approach in 49% of cases, radiation was the primary approach in 40% of cases, and chemotherapy was the primary approach in the remaining 11% of cases. According to a survey conducted in the high-income nation of Australia, little more than 52% of cancer patients required radiotherapy as part of their treatment regimen. However, it is believed that up to 60% to 70% of new patients in low-income countries require radiotherapy due to a lack of surgical treatments and the high proportion of advanced-stage tumors that call for palliative care.
In light of this, only 277 external-beam radiation devices were registered for the African continent in the IAEA’s Directory of Radiation Centers in 2010. Of them, two nations—South Africa and Egypt—accounted for 60%. In addition, of the 52 nations surveyed, 29 African nations did not offer radiotherapy to cancer patients. According to the IAEA, more than 700 additional teletherapy machines would be needed on the continent given the estimated 713,206 cancer cases per year in Africa (according to GLOBOCAN 2008) and the fact that one teletherapy machine can treat 450 new cases of cancer annually.
There are currently no specific statistics available on the accessibility of chemotherapy drugs across the continent of Africa. In 2012 and 2018, an assessment of the situation in sub-Saharan Africa was made, which revealed a number of issues. All 22 of the chemotherapeutic medications on the WHO essential list are probably imported into the region, most of them as generics, but not all of the medications are always available. It is assumed that there is a severe scarcity of systemic anticancer drugs based on extrapolating the status of other critical medications on the WHO list, whose availability was proven to cover barely half of the demand. The scientists also discovered that, on average, the prices of pharmaceuticals in Africa were between 2.7 and 6.1 times higher than the prices used as international benchmarks. Finally, they calculated that there aren’t enough certified medical professionals available to give chemotherapy.
The situation is best illustrated by a review of the pharmaceuticals accessible for cancer therapy at a cancer center in Tanzania; over the time period studied, only about 50% of the specified medicines were available, which resulted in more than 70% of patients not receiving adequate therapy. The expense of purchasing the medications privately ranged from 1 to 7 months’ worth of income. Only a few patients were able to pay because the majority of them lacked insurance. Services in anatomic and clinical pathology are essential for cancer prevention. Pathology studies provide evidence for each stage of the diagnostic process, including the detection of malignant disease, diagnosis, staging, planning the surgical procedure, assessing management complications, and monitoring the outcome of treatment.
Furthermore, pathologic confirmation of the diagnoses is required for the cancer registry data to be taken seriously. For realistic planning of cancer control measures, this final input is crucial. Although there are no official statistics on the state of pathology services in Africa, the information that is currently available indicates a serious shortage in both quantity and quality. According to a 2012–20 informal assessment of pathology capacity in sub-Saharan Africa, the number of pathologists in the region was roughly 10% lower than that of specialists in fields equivalent to pathology in high-income nations.
The African Pathologists Summit, held in 2013 in Dakar, also noted the lack of pathologists and technicians, the poor state of the equipment, the inadequate infrastructure, and the difficulties in getting laboratory supplies. An extensive assessment of cancer prevention in Africa was just released. The analysis reiterates that most malignancies in Africa with the highest incidence rates can be prevented. For instance, human papillomavirus vaccination and other population screening techniques can prevent cervical cancer; hepatitis B vaccination can prevent liver cancer; eliminating malaria and HIV infections can lower the risk of Burkitt lymphoma (HIV is also the primary cause of the high incidence of Kaposi’s sarcoma); and limiting sun exposure can prevent skin cancer.
The investigation did discover that the region’s preventative measures are insufficient. According to the literature, not enough people are aware that cancer exists as a disease, that it has risk factors and manifestations, and that there are methods for preventing and treating it. Additionally, a number of cultural aspects make it difficult to use preventative strategies developed for other sociocultural contexts. The infrastructure and staff in place to enable mass prevention efforts in the health sector are insufficient. Although vaccination programs against the human papillomavirus and the hepatitis B virus are conducted on the continent, they are mostly supported by funding from outside organizations like the United Nations or the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations.
Governments lack the motivation to fully commit to the fight against cancer, and the majority of nations lack national cancer registries, which would provide accurate information on the scope and character of the issue. In a 2009 analysis of the global burden of cancer, the Economist Intelligence Unit discovered a significant gap between the cancer costs on the African continent, which accounted for just 0.3% of the global costs, and the continent’s share of the world’s new cases of cancer, which accounted for 6.4% of the world’s annual total. The amount spent on cancer treatment is disproportionately low in Africa since the majority of cancer costs are represented by medical expenditures (medications, medical procedures, charges for hospitalization, and outpatient visits).
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We were able to see the wider picture of the efforts being made by Professor Ahmed Ahidjo, Chief Medical Director of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, and his management team to find a solution to a more significant issue the world is currently facing thanks to his high-level explanation, study results, and real-world data. The newly opened Cancer Center at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) would go a long way toward reducing the amount of regular medical travel that Nigerians engage in. The Cancer Center is the only facility in Nigeria with four bunkers and cutting-edge medical equipment to ensure that cancer patients receive top-notch care.
Recalls that Alh. Mamman Mamuda, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, said of the UMTH during the inspection of projects completed in the hospital that other cancer centers across the nation “are not up to the standard” of the UMTH Cancer Center and lack the capacity. From what I have observed on the ground, I can conclude that the UMTH is prepared to put an end to medical tourism in Nigeria, he claimed. We have already begun planning ways to make the UMTH a recipient of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s Cancer Support Fund.
The Cancer Center, which cost more than N5 billion to build, has the newest medical facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the UMTH, Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo. He also noted that the goal of the UMTH is to prevent any medical issues from being referred to outside facilities, such as the Epic Hospital in the North East Region. We have two linear accelerators, two brachytherapists, and four bunkers here. We are bringing the first linear accelerators into Nigeria with the Nectar Infinite. The second one, HD Versa, for which the Federal Ministry of Health recently completed the purchase procedure for us, is the first to enter sub-Saharan Africa and the most recent method used globally.
Alongside the Permanent Secretary, Director of Hospital Services Dr. Adebinpe Adebiyi praised the Cancer Center as one of the greatest in the nation and claimed that “it is beating the trends” set by other centers before it. Dr. Adebiyi disclosed that the management of UMTH has given the issue of staffing the new cancer center great priority, noting that the capacity building of professionals to staff the center has been completed. “When Nigerians travel overseas and encounter other Nigerians, they are treated with respect. Why are they not able to treat Nigerians here? It was her.
In Borno State, the CMD is being praised for the several initiatives he is putting in place to make Maiduguri a tourism hub for health in Nigeria, especially with the country’s largest cancer center and cutting-edge medical technology. The move and encouragement needed from the previous administration to the current one, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is to have more federal presence at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital through activities that would promote bigger dreams for a better health solution in Nigeria.
Special Report-UMTH: Looking at the Cancer Center Under Professor Ahidjo’s Led Management Team (3)
Korean Film Festival Returns to Nigeria After COVID-19 Break
By: Michael Mike
The Korean Embassy in Nigeria has commenced the Korean Film Festival in Nigeria after it went on break during the CIVID-19 pandemic.
The latest edition is the 12th Edition of the festival and was hosted at the Silverbird Cinema, in Abuja between 19th September to 21st September 2024 with several movies screened.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Korean ambassador to Nigeria, Kim Pankyu, expressed delight with the return of the festival after it was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
He said: “I have come to deeply feel that South Korea and Nigeria share a strong cultural affinity, especially in their love for music and dance.
“Due to this cultural affinity, various elements, such as fashion and cuisine, along with music, are resonating in Nigeria.
“Particularly, there has been a significant surge in the spread of dramas and films.”
He added that: “Along with the global hit ‘Squid Game’ in 2021, the most-watched drama series on Netflix Nigeria in 2022 was ‘Alchemy of souls’.
“Thus, I have come to realise the importance of introducing Korean films to Nigeria, one of the world’s top 3 film-producing countries.”
Also speaking at the event, the Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Mr Obi Asika, said millions of Nigerians had fallen in love with K-pop [Korean music] and K-drama [Korean drama].
He said Nigeria would continue to learn from the Koreans to improve its entertainment industry.
Korean Film Festival Returns to Nigeria After COVID-19 Break
New UNAIDS Report that Debt Crisis Has Left Health Chronically Underfunded in Africa
By: Michael Mike
Growing public debt is choking sub-Saharan African countries, leaving them with little fiscal room to finance health and critical HIV services, a new report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS).
The report said domestic revenues, debt relief and development aid: Transformative pathways for ending AIDS by 2030 Eastern and Southern Africa/ Western and Central Africa, shows that the debt crisis is putting in jeopardy progress made towards ending AIDS.
It added that sub-Saharan Africa accounts for the largest number of people living with HIV, with more than 25.9 million people of the 39.9 million living with HIV globally. The region’s success in having reduced new HIV infections by 56% since 2010 will not be sustained if fiscal space is constrained.
The report, released ahead of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, showed that the combination of growing public debt payments and spending cuts set out in International Monetary Fund agreements in the next three to five years will, if unaddressed, leave countries dangerously under resourced to fund their HIV responses.
The UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said: “When countries cannot effectively look after the health care needs of their people because of debt payments, global health security is put at risk,” adding that: “Public debt needs to be urgently reduced and domestic resource mobilization strengthened to enable the fiscal space to fully fund the global HIV response and end AIDS.”
The report said debt servicing now exceeds 50% of government revenues in Angola, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia, adding that even after debt relief measures, Zambia will still be paying two-thirds of its budget on debt servicing between 2024 and 2026.
It said there has been a noted decline in HIV response spending since 2017 in Western and Central Africa, from 0.3% of GDP in 2017 to just 0.12% in 2022.
It said Western and Central Africa will need to mobilize US$ 4.18 billion to fully fund the HIV response in 2024. This will climb to US$ 7.9 billion by 2030 unless efforts are scaled up today to stop new HIV infections.
While US$ 20.8 billion was available for the HIV response in 2022 in low and middle-income countries through both domestic and international sources, this funding was not enough to sufficiently finance the HIV response. Western and Central Africa for example had a funding shortfall of 32% in 2022.
In 2024 alone, Eastern and Southern Africa will need to mobilize almost US$ 12 billion to fully fund the HIV response. This amount will climb to around US$ 17 billion by 2030 unless new HIV infections are reduced.
It said to enable increased domestic resource mobilization for countries to respond effectively to their pandemics, sub-Saharan African countries will need to strengthen their tax systems, including closing tax exemptions which currently cost countries an average of 2.6% of GDP in lost revenue across the region. Donors need also to scale up financial assistance for health and the HIV response between now and 2030, while creditors should offer debt relief to heavily indebted countries to ease the burden.
Byanyima said: “World leaders cannot let a resource crunch derail global progress to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.”
New UNAIDS Report that Debt Crisis Has Left Health Chronically Underfunded in Africa
Flood in UMTH: Professor Ahidjo’s demonstrated leadership in emergencies
By Dr. James Bwala
The flooding in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State in northern Nigeria, has presented serious issues for the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH). The administration of the hospital has been putting a lot of effort into determining the extent of the impact as they prepare to put in place a comprehensive strategy to deal with these environmental issues and guarantee that medical care is provided as usual.
UMTH considers improving its infrastructure resilience to be one of its main tactics. In order to lessen water accumulation during future heavy rains, the hospital intends to improve the drainage systems surrounding its property. It also intends to participate in community outreach programs that educate locals about flood risks and promote preventive measures like proper waste disposal and land management techniques that can lessen the effects of flooding. Furthermore, UMTH has improved its alliances with both governmental and non-governmental groups in order to streamline the mobilization of resources in times of crisis.
Speaking on the destruction caused by the flood at UMTH, the CMD stated that flooding presents serious problems for communities all around the world and calls for efficient response systems. The Chief Medical Director (CMD) has started a number of programs to lessen the negative effects of floods and prevent them from happening again. He claims that the hospital works to lessen vulnerability and increase resilience in affected populations and patients by implementing comprehensive flood control policies and strategic planning.
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The creation of early warning systems that enable prompt alerts for approaching floods is one of the CMD’s planned initiatives. By utilizing cutting-edge meteorological data and predictive analytics, these devices will help UMTH communities get ready for any future flooding. Additionally, public awareness campaigns have been crucial in informing the public about the dangers of flooding and in supporting preventative measures like emergency evacuation plans, which the hospital intends to utilize going forward. These programs are made more effective by including community input, which guarantees that decision-making processes are informed by local expertise.
Two crises were brought about by the flooding: the immediate risk to patient safety and the interruption of medical services. In response, UMTH took extensive steps to protect its patients’ wellbeing while guaranteeing the continuity of their care. These actions included creating emergency procedures. Also, a plan for the allocation of funds for flood control and working with the government to enable prompt responses may be understood in the efforts to assess the level of disruption by the flood.
The mobilization of medical staff to obtain vital medical supplies and support patients in evacuation attempts was a crucial component of UMTH’s reaction. Employees put in a great deal of effort to move patients who were at risk from impacted locations on the hospital grounds, giving priority to those who needed intensive care or had chronic illnesses. In addition, patients were accommodated in makeshift shelters that were established upstairs at the hospital.
Significant worries about patient safety and the operational integrity of medical equipment have been raised by the water occurrences at the cancer centers and radiology departments. The Chief Medical Director, or CMD, has stated that quick evaluations are essential to determine the level of harm done to these devices, especially considering how important they are to treatment plans and diagnostic imaging. Flooding can affect these sophisticated instruments’ calibration as well as performance, which might result in inaccurate readings or inefficient therapy delivery. Therefore, it is essential that a thorough assessment be carried out prior to any device being approved for usage.
Professor Ahmed Ahidjo
The CMD also stresses the need for thorough backup planning and routine maintenance to reduce the likelihood of similar events in the future. This entails making investments in waterproofing techniques for crucial sections of healthcare facilities to guarantee that equipment can tolerate unforeseen environmental difficulties. The current state of affairs emphasizes the necessity of proactive risk management techniques and serves as a reminder of the vulnerabilities present in the healthcare system.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) made admirable efforts to guarantee that patient care remained a top priority in the face of these challenges. These preventative actions included arranging for the deployment of resources, improving staff coordination, and putting emergency protocols in place to handle the flood of patients impacted by the catastrophe. In times of crisis, the response from patients and their families demonstrates a complex interaction between heightened expectations and thankfulness.
The majority of patient relations’ responses to these initiatives were favorable. Numerous people conveyed gratitude for the CMD’s leadership amid a turbulent moment, emphasizing how prompt actions reduced possible health risks related to flooding. The construction of makeshift hospitals in safer locales demonstrated compassion for patients in times of emergency and built a rapport between medical staff and patients. Since it strengthens the therapeutic connection at the heart of efficient healthcare delivery, this trust is crucial.
Indeed, the flooding has had a substantial impact on the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), exacerbating pre-existing issues within the healthcare system. Thousands of patients depend on the hospital, a major healthcare facility in northeastern Nigeria, for both routine and emergency care, making it an indispensable resource. There is an urgent need for more governmental and non-governmental help in light of the flood issues currently facing the region in order to guarantee that UMTH can carry on offering vital medical services to the community, Nigeria, and all of west Africa.
Dr. James Bwala, PhD, writes from Abuja.
Flood in UMTH: Professor Ahidjo’s demonstrated leadership in emergencies
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