Experts Warn Conflict, Displacement Are Deepening Nigeria’s Cancer Care Crisis

Health experts have raised concerns that millions of Nigerians displaced by conflict and insecurity are being cut off from cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, worsening inequalities in access to life-saving services.
The warning was issued in Abuja at a World Cancer Day symposium organised by Project Pink Blue, where health professionals, advocates and policymakers discussed how insecurity is deepening Nigeria’s cancer burden.
President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Bala Audu, said cancer services are almost non-existent in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, where about 3.5 million women and children currently reside across the country. He noted that conflict disrupts the entire cancer care chain, from screening and diagnosis to treatment and follow-up, as health facilities are destroyed, workers displaced and referral systems weakened.
According to him, insecurity makes travel unsafe, disrupts supply chains and forces the closure of clinics, while many health workers avoid high-risk areas, leaving facilities understaffed and unable to provide basic cancer-related services.
Audu stressed that common cancers in Nigeria, including breast, cervical, prostate and colorectal cancers, are largely preventable through screening and early detection. However, he said cervical cancer remains the second leading cancer among Nigerian women, reflecting gaps in prevention and access.
He cited cases in IDP camps where preventive measures such as the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine are excluded from routine immunisation, despite the vulnerability of women and girls in those settings. He called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, healthcare providers and civil society to expand screening and improve access to cancer care in conflict-affected communities.
The NMA president also noted that insecurity across the North-east, North-west, South-east, North-central and the Niger Delta has severely disrupted healthcare delivery, with facilities destroyed, workers kidnapped or forced to relocate, and referral systems broken.
Also speaking, the First Lady of Imo State and Chairperson of First Ladies Against Cancer (FLAC), Chioma Uzodinma, described cancer as a major public health challenge, with about 128,000 new cases recorded annually in Nigeria.
She said breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women, claiming more than 16,000 lives each year, while prostate cancer remains the leading cause of cancer mortality among men.
Uzodinma warned that conflict and insecurity are undermining progress in cancer prevention and care, especially in the North-east, North-west and parts of the South-east, where attacks on health facilities and personnel have disrupted services.
She noted that more than 70 per cent of breast cancer cases in Nigeria are diagnosed at advanced stages, partly due to insecurity and limited access to care. She added that Nigeria requires about 220 radiotherapy machines but currently has fewer than 15, leaving millions without access to treatment, particularly in conflict-affected areas.
She further observed that women in rural and displaced communities often resort to self-medication or traditional remedies, delaying professional care and worsening outcomes.
In his remarks, Project Pink Blue’s senior administrative officer, Godwin Kagior, said the symposium was convened to address how insecurity worsens existing gaps in cancer care and to identify practical solutions for ensuring continuity of services in fragile settings.
He said the annual World Cancer Day event serves as a platform for policy dialogue, accountability and stronger partnerships to ensure that no one is denied cancer care because of displacement or insecurity.