Cancer Survivors in Nigeria Face Financial Hardship and Stigma, Says NCS

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja 

The Nigerian Cancer Society (NCS) has highlighted that many cancer survivors in Nigeria continue to face significant challenges, including stigma and financial hardship.

The Society noted that, although advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment have improved survival rates worldwide, surviving cancer does not signal the end of the journey.

A statement from NCS President and CEO Prof. Abidemi Omonisi, made in commemoration of National Cancer Survivors’ Day (NCSD) 2026, emphasized 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,” Omonisi said.

“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,” the statement added.

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.”

The Society also reported that many survivors 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 stated that survivorship must be recognized as an integral component of cancer control, 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,” the Society concluded.