MSD Urges Private Sector to Boost Nigeria's Cancer Care Efforts

MSD has called for stronger private-sector participation in Nigeria's cervical cancer elimination efforts, emphasizing the need for broader partnerships to enhance prevention, screening, treatment, and sustainable financing. This call was made during a policy roundtable organized by MSD in collaboration with Africa Health Business in Abuja, themed “Accelerating Cervical Cancer Elimination in Nigeria: Uniting Public and Private Sectors for Equitable Access.” Vuyo Mjekula, Director of External Affairs, Sub-Saharan Africa at MSD, noted that Nigeria has made significant strides in HPV vaccination, with over 18 million girls vaccinated since the program's introduction in 2023.

Mjekula stressed the importance of integrating cervical cancer screening into routine healthcare and advocated for private-sector representation in national task forces to improve resource deployment. Dr Rufai Ahmed Garba, Director of Disease Control and Immunisation at the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, confirmed that 76% of the target population has been vaccinated, highlighting the vaccine's integration into routine immunization since October 2023.