The Abia State Commission for the Welfare of Disabled Persons has called for regular cancer screening and improved access to specialist healthcare for persons with albinism, as it pledged sustained support for a newly established Cancer Trust Fund in the state.
The Chairman of the Commission, Dr. David Anyaele, made the call at the launch of the Cancer Trust Fund for persons with albinism, held at the Gen. Aguiyi Ironsi Hall, Umuahia, as part of activities marking the International Albinism Awareness Day.
Dr. Anyaele said the Commission would support the trust fund annually, subject to government approval, and would also seek technical assistance from international organisations to strengthen the initiative and expand its reach.
“We are going to identify international agencies that will support you technically in what you are doing so that this cancer trust fund will increase, will expand and the real people will get the benefits that it is meant for,” .
He stressed that the sustainability of the fund would depend on proper management, transparency and accountability, urging the Albinism Association of Nigeria, Abia State Chapter, to establish clear policies and procedures for its operation. He recommended that the trust fund maintain a separate account from that of the association, with credible persons outside the association involved in its oversight, while regular reports should indicate beneficiaries, persons awaiting assistance and areas requiring further intervention.
The Chairman said the Commission’s intervention was driven by the need to prevent further deaths from cancer-related complications among persons with albinism. Recalling the case of a woman with albinism who travelled outside Abia in search of medical attention before she died, Anyaele said the experience stressed the importance of early detection and access to specialist care within the state.
“If we would have had a first-hand medical review in Abia State, maybe she wouldn’t have died. And that is why we said nobody must die again as a result of albinism-related cancer in Abia State,”
He therefore called for collaboration with the Ministry of Health to establish monthly cancer screening for persons with albinism and ensure access to dermatologists for specialised care. Anyaele noted that some persons with albinism had been compelled to seek specialist attention outside Abia, stressing that improved healthcare services within the state would help reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment.
Earlier in his welcome remark, the Chairman of the Albinism Association of Nigeria, Abia State Chapter, Hon. Enyinnaya Nwosu, said the trust fund was established to provide a lasting mechanism for supporting persons with albinism, particularly those facing cancer-related health challenges.
Hon. Nwosu assured the responsible management of the fund to ensure that it remained available to support persons with albinism who require assistance.
