Closing the care gap in cancer care in Nigeria: time to move from commemoration to a coordinated action

Cancer, a major noncommunicable disease (NCD), is responsible for ill health, disability and death of a significant proportion of the population around the world. About 20 million new cases and 9.7 million deaths were estimated to occur in 2022 and, given the prevailing conditions, it is predicted that there will be more than 35 million new cases in 2050 - a 77% increase in less than three decades. 1 The extant measures and services to cater to the victims of the disease, unfortunately, are grossly inadequate and cannot cope with the rapidly rising burden of the disease. Controlling the disease demands a holistic approach comprising four principal components: prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, and palliative 2 care