As the global health community commemorated the World Health Day on Sunday, The Pink Oak Cancer Trust called on the President Muhammadu Buhari and the governors of the 36 states of the Federation to work in synergy and establish a mandatory health insurance to cover cancer diagnosis and treatment.
A statement made available to SaharaReporters by Sr. Laz Ude Eze, the Executive Director, noted that qualitative healthcare should be made available, affordable and accessible to every Nigerian so as to guarantee right to life as provided in the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
"Nigeria accounts for the highest number of cancer-related deaths in the world not because the cancer cannot be treated or cured but due to inability of patients to afford care and a lack of adequate facilities and manpower to provide quality care," Eze said.
"The Pink Oak and partners are raising money to fund the treatment of patients in early stages of cancer in Nigeria to provide a short to medium-term solution to the financial barriers to treatment. More so, the Pink Oak calls on well-meaning Nigerians to donate to the foundation to enable it raise N350 million and sponsor the treatment of 100 or more cancer patients this year.
He also enjoined the government at all levels to increase budgetary allocations for health and work towards achieving universal health coverage by 2030.
Pink Oak co-funds treatment of eligible cancer patients recommended by any of its member-NGOs, namely Breast Without Spot (Enugu), Cancer Aware Nigeria (Lagos), Medicaid Cancer Foundation (Abuja), Pink Africa Foundation (Calabar), Project Pink Blue (Abuja), St. Cyril Cancer Treatment Foundation (Lagos), Sebeccly Cancer Care (Lagos) and Patela Care Foundation (Ibadan).
The theme of the World Health Day 2019 is 'Universal Health Coverage' — a situation where every citizen has health insurance coverage and can afford quality healthcare without financial difficulty.
PUBLIC HEALTH News AddThis : Featured Image : Original Author : SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : source http://saharareporters.com/2019/04/08/worldhealthday-pink-oak-demands-mandatory-insurance-coverage-cancer-care
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