Amid the ongoing crisis between Russia and Ukraine, Russia recently announced a groundbreaking development in cancer treatment – the creation of a vaccine designed to treat cancer patients. This scientific feat is a laudable one. It should encourage the Nigerian government to step up research and development in the country and be committed to tackling the cancer menace.

The mRNA vaccine, targeted for launch in early 2025, will be distributed freely to Russians, says the chief oncologist of the Russian Ministry of Health, Andrey Kaprin. Kaprin was quoted by Trinity Mirror.

He added that the vaccine will cost the state 300,000 rubles (N4.5m) per dose.

Kaprin further noted that cancer treatment drugs are typically expensive when they enter the market, but this vaccine is intended to be accessible to the entire population.

Like vaccines being developed in Western countries, Russian government scientists have disclosed that the domestically created vaccines will be personalised for each patient.

This noteworthy medical breakthrough has become a lifesaving necessity in Russia which recorded over 635,000 cancer cases in 2022. Colon, breast, and lung cancers were reported to be the most common among Russians.

Nigeria is in a similar dilemma. A report by Project Pink Blue showed that cancer leads to over 72,000 deaths annually in the country. “This number is set to increase given that there are 102,000 new cases of cancer every year,” the report noted.

While breast cancer is the leading cause of death in Nigeria, liver and prostate cancer come second and third respectively in the high mortality scale.

One defining feature of cancer is the rapid creation of abnormal cells that grow beyond their usual boundaries, which can then invade adjoining parts of the body.

It is a leading cause of death worldwide, “accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, or nearly one in six deaths”, according to the WHO.

Sadly, Nigeria’s healthcare system is saddled with challenges such as a lack of infrastructure, and equipment, and an inadequate number of cancer centres.

Given the population of the country estimated at 230 million and the number of cancer patients in the country, the number of comprehensive cancer centres is not sufficient to treat the rising number of cases.

Amid the mass exodus of Nigerian healthcare workers, the country’s health sector perennially struggles to produce and train enough cancer specialists. For a disease that can be treated if detected early, low funding in healthcare insurance has left many cancer patients at a morbid disadvantage as they are unable to afford the exorbitant treatment.

Granted, the management of cancer worldwide is very expensive, but in developed countries, patients do not pay from their pockets because they have health insurance schemes.

The Nigerian government needs to organise a health insurance scheme that will enable the populace to access cancer treatment.

Nigeria needs to partner with Russia on the cancer treatment vaccine and boost its investment in the country’s R&D to attain similar medical feats.

Nigeria needs urgent action on this. Since 2019, the WHO, in collaboration with GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, has introduced the malaria vaccine to Africa. Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi were the first beneficiaries. Nigeria, however, bears by far the highest burden of malaria in the world, with 27 per cent of the cases in 2022 per the WHO.

Furthermore, the government should create and invest in more specialist schools to train cancer specialists and encourage collaborations with countries where these specialists are quite enough.

Federal and state governments should increase funding towards the equipping of teaching hospitals and bring in more items of equipment that will aid cancer detection and early treatment, which will boost patients’ survival chances. (The PUNCH Editorial)