Stakeholders have called on the Nigerian government to increase private sector involvement in the fight against cancer, particularly cervical cancer. They argue that greater integration will expand access to prevention, screening, treatment, and financing across the country. This appeal was made at a high-level policy roundtable organised by Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) in partnership with Africa Health Business (AHB).
The roundtable, themed ‘Accelerating Cervical Cancer Elimination in Nigeria: Uniting Public and Private Sectors for Equitable Access,’ brought together stakeholders from government, healthcare, public health, the private sector, and the cancer advocacy community. Vuyo Mjekula, External Affairs Director for sub-Saharan Africa at MSD, emphasised the importance of private sector participation in building on the progress made through Nigeria’s national Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme.
Mjekula noted that the changing global funding environment and declining donor support had made it crucial for Nigeria to mobilise domestic resources and involve the private sector in national health priorities. She pointed to the COVID-19 response as evidence of what could be achieved when private healthcare providers were integrated into a national health response.
Rufai Garba, Director, Disease Control and Immunisation, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), reported that the Federal Government has vaccinated over 18 million adolescent girls against HPV, representing about 76% of the target population. He stated that Nigeria introduced HPV vaccination into the national programme in October 2023, making the vaccine available free of charge to nine-year-old girls at public health facilities.
Garba emphasised that the scale of cervical cancer in Nigeria remained a major public health concern, with approximately 12,000 new cases and nearly 8,000 deaths recorded annually. He stressed that the government’s response must go beyond vaccination to include screening, early diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up to effectively combat the disease.
Mjekula disclosed that MSD was working with Gavi and UNICEF on access to higher-valency HPV vaccines in Africa. The company has also invested over $44 million in Nigeria through its MSD for Mothers initiative to support civil society organisations working in maternal healthcare.
The stakeholders at the roundtable agreed that sustainable progress in cervical cancer elimination would require coordinated action among government, the private sector, healthcare providers, civil society, and patient advocates to ensure that prevention, screening, treatment, and financing solutions reach the women and communities that need them most.
Key points
- Private sector participation is crucial in expanding access to cervical cancer prevention, screening, treatment, and financing in Nigeria.
- Nigeria has vaccinated over 18 million adolescent girls against HPV, representing about 76% of the target population.
- The country records approximately 12,000 new cervical cancer cases and nearly 8,000 deaths annually.
