Abuja: Medical experts and health advocates have renewed calls for a national policy on brain health. They are calling on the Federal Government to prioritise brain tumour care through increased funding, public education, and improved access to treatment.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the call was made during a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja to commemorate the 2025 World Brain Tumour Day, organised by the Brain and Spine Foundation Africa in partnership with the National Hospital. Speaking at the event, Dr Mansur Idris, Head of Consultant Neurosurgeon at the National Hospital, highlighted that brain tumours account for up to 25 per cent of all neurosurgical cases in the country. Idris, represented by Dr Uthman Uthman, a neurosurgeon, delivered a keynote address titled ‘Hope amid Tumour: Advances in Care and Survivorship’, where he emphasised the lack of awareness about the early signs of brain tumours among Nigerians due to cultural misconceptions.
Dr Idris pointed out that symptoms like seizures or behavioural changes are often misinterpreted as spiritual attacks, leading to delayed diagnosis. He stressed that even benign tumours, if left untreated, can result in life-threatening complications. He explained that diagnostic tools like Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are either unavailable or unaffordable for most Nigerians. While he praised new facilities like the African Medical Centre of Excellence in Abuja, he noted the financial inaccessibility of advanced services such as Tesla MRI and PET scans for many patients.
He advocated for a multi-disciplinary approach involving neurosurgery, radiology, pathology, oncology, and lifelong follow-up for effective treatment, stressing the need for financial support to prevent overwhelming patients and their families. Idris urged the government to adopt cancer care financing models for brain tumour patients and include brain health in the national health agenda.
Ms Chika Okwuolisa, Executive Director of Brain and Spine Foundation Africa, described brain tumours as a ‘silent national crisis’ and called for urgent policy intervention, education, and funding to address this issue. She shared a personal experience of supporting a sibling with a brain tumour, highlighting the financial struggles her family faced in securing treatment, emphasizing that brain health should be a public health issue and not a private struggle.
Retired Gen. Maurice Ezeoke, former President of the International College of Surgeons, also highlighted the financial barriers to treatment, advocating for subsidies and the inclusion of brain tumour care in national health insurance coverage. Mrs Ekeinyi Adedayo, a senior oncology nurse at the National Hospital, urged Nigerians to be vigilant about persistent symptoms like chronic headaches, changes in vision, and seizures, as early diagnosis significantly improves survival chances.
The event featured emotional testimonies from survivors and caregivers, such as Ms Stephanie Acka, whose sister was diagnosed in 2021. She described the financial burden her family faced, raising over N10 million for surgery in India and continuing to struggle with monthly drug costs as high as N1.2 million. She called for government support to alleviate the suffering of families affected by brain tumours.
World Brain Tumour Day, observed every June 8, is more than just a commemorative day. It serves as a global call to action to address one of the most under-recognised but devastating health conditions affecting populations worldwide. With the theme for World Brain Tumour Day 2025, ‘Fighting Brain Cancer Together’, advocates globally are rallying for equity in brain care, research, and survivorship.