Nigeria losing children to cancer due to weak specialist care — Experts,
By Sola Ogundipe
Following calls for urgent reform in Nigeria’s childhood cancer care, experts have spotlighted weak multidisciplinary collaboration and limited social support as critical gaps in the system.
This comes as the World Child Cancer reflected on lessons from Ghana and other African centres where survival outcomes for children with cancer are steadily improving.
In a chat, Dr. John Balogun, a pediatric oncologist, called for a multidisciplinary approach and investment in specialist paediatric oncology training as a national healthcare priority to manage childhood cancer in Nigeria.
Balogun who underwent a two-year Fellowship training in Ghana under the auspices of the World Child Cancer, told Vanguard that in the heart of effective pediatric oncology lies a strong multidisciplinary team approach, where care extends far beyond a single doctor’s intervention.
Multidisciplinary
team
“One key takeaway regarding the care of children with cancer is the strength of the multidisciplinary team. In pediatric oncology, the work doesn’t end on your table, you bring in surgeons, radiologists, and other specialists so that, at the end of the day, the child receives comprehensive care,” he said.
Balogun said that in better-performing systems, the pediatric oncologist leads a coordinated team that meets regularly, sometimes several times a week, to review cases and make joint decisions focused solely on the patient.
“What stands out is not just the structure, but the commitment. The level of passion and collaboration is remarkable. Whenever needed, people respond without hesitation,” he added, describing a system where teamwork is deeply embedded and continuously evolving.
“It didn’t happen overnight, but over time, people adapted to the importance of multidisciplinary meetings. Organisations such as World Child Cancer are working with partners across Africa to train paediatric oncologists and specialist nurses, helping countries like Nigeria build sustainable systems for childhood cancer care.
To transform the chances of survival of children with cancer in Nigeria, we must invest in the people who treat them.
“For a country of over 200 million people, the number of specialists remains far too low, without scaling this workforce, survival rates will not improve at the pace Nigeria’s children need.
“There is a clear path forward. First, Nigeria needs to invest in specialist paediatric oncology training as a national healthcare priority. This means supporting doctors and nurses to train, ensuring they have roles to return to, and equipping hospitals with the medicines and infrastructure required to deliver care.
“Second, awareness must improve. Many children are never diagnosed or diagnosed late because early signs are not recognised. Earlier diagnosis increases survival and reduces the burden on families,” he said.
According to him, training one specialist can transform care for thousands over the course of a career.
“It strengthens hospitals, builds local expertise and helps ensure children can be treated closer to home. This is a long-term solution to a long-standing challenge.
Beyond clinical care, Balogun said that social support has emerged as a defining factor in improving outcomes.
“In Ghana and other centers where childhood cancer care is thriving, social support is key. A child does not fight alone. You see teams surrounding the child, supporting them, they even bring school into the ward.
Late presentation/diagnosis
In an assessment of pediatric oncology in Nigeria, Balogun observed that late diagnosis continues to undermine treatment success, with an estimated 75 per cent of children presenting at advanced stages of cancer.
“Many children come in at advanced stages, often Stage IV. Studies show that about 75 percent of patients present late, making treatment difficult. Another challenge is financial constraint. Even getting to the hospital can be difficult for many families. Treatment costs are high, so some turn to alternative options like religious centers or traditional healers.
“Nigeria can improve outcomes by adapting proven strategies from within the region, particularly around teamwork, patient support, and early diagnosis. The idea is to learn what works and apply it here,” the expert said. “It may not happen overnight, but we must start,” he said.
According to Luke Thomas, CEO, World Child Cancer, an estimated 40,000 children develop cancer each year in Nigeria, and survival rates remain far below what is possible.
“In countries with the right systems and expertise, more than 80 percent of children with cancer survive, while in low- and middle-income settings survival is often below 30 percent.
Closing the gap
”This gap is not because childhood cancer is untreatable, it is because too many children do not receive the right care, at the right time, from the right specialists. At the centre of this challenge is a critical shortage of professionals trained in paediatric oncology. Across Nigeria, children with cancer are often treated by general paediatricians or adult oncologists working under immense pressure. When these skills are in place, outcomes improve,” he said.
Thomas said Nigeria is already beginning to see the impact of this approach.
”Doctors like Dr John Balogun have completed specialist paediatric oncology training and are now back in Nigeria strengthening services and treating children. Thanks to support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), Dr Hamza Yusuf, is currently undergoing a two-year fellowship training and will return to do the same.”
The post Nigeria losing children to cancer due to weak specialist care — Experts appeared first on Vanguard News.
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Following calls for urgent reform in Nigeria’s childhood cancer care, experts have spotlighted weak multidisciplinary collaboration and limited social support as critical gaps in the system.
The post Nigeria losing children to cancer due to weak specialist care — Experts appeared first on Vanguard News.
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