Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has disclosed that 764 Nigerians die of mouth cancer also known as oral cancer every year
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Team@orientactualmags.com learned he said this in Abuja during an oral cancer training programme organized by the Cleft and Facial Deformity Foundation (CFDF).
Osagie , who was represented by the head of dentistry division at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Gloria Uzoigwe, added that Nigeria also records 1,146 new cases of oral cancer annually.
He said oral cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer- related deaths in Nigeria due to late reporting in hospitals, and inability of healthcare workers to detect the lesion early and refer appropriately among others.
The minister also disclosed that the federal government would launch a new oral health policy in November.
Executive Director, CFDF, Seidu Bello also noted that artificial intelligence helps in early detection of oral cancers and oral potentially malignant disorders.
He said it could be used to predict with more than 90 percent accuracy that someone could develop cancer in another 10 years.
President, Nigerian Dental Association, Tope Adeyemi, represented by the Secretary-General of the association, Ukachi Nnawuihe, urged full integration of oral health in the primary healthcare services in the country to ensure easy access to oral healthcare while Professor Bukola Folashade Adeyemi of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, identified use of tobacco and alcohol, oral sex and intense use of foods prepared over naked flames like suya, continued infections in the mouth, as risk factors for oral cancer in the country- Team@orientactualmags.com
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