As Nigeria marks this year’s World Cancer Day, findings show that rising treatment costs are forcing many cancer patients to abandon hospital care for herbal remedies.
For many cancer patients in Nigeria, the fight is not only against a life-threatening disease but also against the crushing cost of treatment. Findings by Daily Trust show that financial constraints are pushing patients to abandon orthodox medical care in favour of herbal remedies, despite cancer remaining a major public health concern with more than 100,000 new cases and about 70,000 deaths recorded annually in the country.
One of such patients is Etum Odey (not her real name), a 53-year-old mother of three from Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, who was diagnosed with breast cancer about three years ago. Odey said she initially sought hospital treatment after noticing abnormalities in her breast but later resorted to traditional remedies when the cost became overwhelming. “The doctors told me I had cancer after my breast developed some anomalies. At first, I visited hospitals, but I found that the cost was too much for me to bear, so I started taking herbal concoctions,” she said.
She explained that she was first treated at the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, before being referred to an oncologist at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, where her diagnosis was confirmed. According to her, the financial burden of care has drained her resources. “I have spent everything I have travelling between Benue, Abuja, Kaduna and Jos in search of treatment, but without success. I now spend most of my time in Abuja, where my case is being managed traditionally,” Odey added.