Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The Nigerian Cancer Society (NCS) has said that many cancer survivors in Nigeria are still confronted by several challenges including stigma and financial hardship.
It noted that while advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment have improved survival outcomes globally, surviving cancer does not mark the end of the journey.
A statement by the President/CEO Nigerian Cancer Society, Prof. Abidemi Omonisi, to commemorate the National Cancer Survivors’ Day (NCSD) 2026, said that access to survivorship care remains limited in many parts of Nigeria.
“For many survivors in Nigeria, life after treatment presents a new set of challenges that often receive inadequate attention.
“Cancer survivors in Nigeria continue to face significant financial hardship arising from high out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures, limited health insurance coverage, loss of income, and the economic burden placed on families during and after treatment.
“Many survivors exhaust their savings, incur debts, or struggle to meet basic needs while attempting to access essential follow-up care,” it said.
NCS said that beyond the financial burden, survivors “frequently encounter persistent physical and medical complications including chronic pain, fatigue, lymphedema, infertility, sexual and reproductive health challenges, nutritional difficulties, and long-term side effects associated with cancer treatment”.
According to the Society, many cancer survivors also experience anxiety, depression, fear of recurrence, post-traumatic stress, and emotional exhaustion, often without access to adequate psychosocial support services.
“Social stigma remains a major concern. Misconceptions that associate cancer with curses, witchcraft, punishment, or hopelessness continue to fuel discrimination and isolation in some communities,” it said.
NCS said that survivorship must be recognized as an integral component of cancer control and not merely an outcome of treatment.
“On this National Cancer Survivors Day, the Nigerian Cancer Society calls on the federal government, state governments, policymakers, healthcare institutions, development partners, private sector organizations, and civil society stakeholders to prioritize cancer survivorship within Nigeria’s health agenda,” it said.
