ABUJA, NIGERIA, Oct. 29, 2019 — Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health today announced an innovative partnership to deliver lifesaving chemotherapies for cancer treatment to seven teaching hospitals throughout the country. As a result of the partnership, Nigerians are expected to save up to 50 percent of their treatment costs, enabling thousands of additional patients to access care.
This new program, known as the Chemotherapy Access Partnership, between the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI), the American Cancer Society (ACS), Pfizer, Inc., Worldwide Healthcare, and EMGE Resources, Limited, will enable people with cancer in Nigeria to access lower-priced, high-quality treatments at hospital pharmacies. The medications available under the program are of the same quality as those that would be received by patients in the United States, Europe, Canada, Japan, and Australia.
At the same time, the partnership will provide immediate payment to participating pharmaceutical companies and drug distributors to ensure sustainability of the system and routine stock replenishment. The agreement will enable Nigeria and other African governments to double the number of patients being treated with the same resources and reduce catastrophic expenditure for patients paying out-of-pocket by reducing complexity in the distribution process, stabilizing prices, coordinating orders, streamlining registration of products approved by a stringent regulatory authority, and promoting the entry of international suppliers with a range of quality-assured products.
The Honorable Minister of State for Health, Doctor (Senator) Adeleke O. Mamora, stated, “For too long cancer has been perceived as a death sentence, but this should no longer be the case in Nigeria.”
The program builds on two groundbreaking access agreements announced by CHAI and ACS with Pfizer, Inc. and Cipla, Inc. in 2017 to reduce the price of sixteen priority and quality-assured medicines by almost 50 percent in six countries in Africa: Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Combined, these countries account for 42 percent of the cancer burden in sub-Saharan Africa. The medications will help treat cancers with the highest incidence in Africa including breast, cervical, Kaposi Sarcoma, colorectal, and prostate cancer.
Each year, there are 1,000,000 new cases and 700,000 deaths from cancer in Africa. Deaths from cancer have surpassed those from malaria and tuberculosis on the continent and are expected to double in the next 10 years, eclipsing deaths from HIV/AIDS. In Nigeria alone, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are over 100,000 cases and 70,000 deaths due to cancer each year.
Cancer patients in Africa have a much greater likelihood of dying than those in higher income countries largely due to barriers in access to quality treatments that have been available in higher income countries for decades. The proliferation of counterfeit medicines at premium prices exacerbates an already dire situation. Patients are twice as likely to die of cancer in Nigeria as in the United States and sixty percent of patients who get cancer in Nigeria will die.
Dr. Owens Wiwa, CHAI’s Executive Vice President for West and Central Africa and Nigeria Country Director stated, “We are pleased today to have worked under the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health and the teaching hospitals, together with other partners, to bring this agreement to reality in Nigeria. We hope more patients will access these highest quality treatments.”
The initiative has rolled out in seven university teaching hospitals including:
• Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital,
• Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital,
• Lagos University Teaching Hospital,
• National Hospital Abuja,
• Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital,
• University College Hospital Ibadan,
• University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu
“The American Cancer Society is pleased to partner with the Clinton Health Access Initiative and the Federal Ministry of Health on this important project to improve access to life-saving cancer medicines,” stated Dr. Meg O’Brien, Vice President, Global Cancer Treatment at ACS. “We all share a vision for a Nigeria where every patient gets immediate, affordable, high-quality treatment for cancer and will continue to work toward making that vision a reality for every Nigerian.”
“The Nigerian Ministry of Health has taken a major step to help address the burden of cancer by enabling access to quality chemotherapy medicines. Pfizer is proud to partner with the MOH, CHAI, ACS and all of the dedicated partners to help Nigerian patients receive the treatments they need and have a chance at the best health outcomes,” said Lindsey Dietschi, Vice President of Global Health Partnerships for Pfizer.
Updated at 7:44pm ET to reflect quote from Dr. Adeleke O. Mamora.
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About the Clinton Health Access Initiative | The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries. We work with our partners to strengthen the capabilities of governments and the private sector to create and sustain high-quality health systems that can succeed without our assistance. For more information, please visit: http://www.clintonhealthaccess.org
About the American Cancer Society | The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of 2 million volunteers saving lives in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, our efforts have contributed to a 25 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. We’re finding cures as the nation’s largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings and more. ACS does not endorse any product or service nor any particular brand of cancer drugs. ACS is not a provider of medical services and is not responsible for any drugs, screening, diagnosis, or medical treatment. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at (800) 227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
About Pfizer | Pfizer applies science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. It strives to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products. Pfizer Global Health Partnerships focuses on enabling sustainable access to medicines and vaccines to improve lives in the most vulnerable populations through collaboration with leading health and development organizations.
About Worldwide Healthcare | Worldwide Healthcare is part of pan-African-based Imperial Logistics and has been a leading importer and distributor of healthcare products in Nigeria for more than a decade. Worldwide Healthcare is happy to be part of this first of its kind public-private partnership to reduce the burden of cancer patients in Nigeria by bringing world-class quality products to Nigerian patients at affordable prices. Worldwide through this initiative wishes to reduce the trauma of going abroad for treatment and save billions to Nigerian patients. Worldwide reiterates its commitment to partner with Government and other agencies in similar projects in improving quality of healthcare in Nigeria.
About EMGE Resources Limited | EMGE Resources Limited is a supply chain and logistics company with a strategic long-term inclusion of renewable energy services. EMGE has been mandated by its board to operate in the healthcare space with a goal to utilize decades of real world expertise and focus on bridging the gap in life saving and empowering solutions within Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa. We have positioned ourselves to serve as a channel to access quality solutions, which include products, and services to enable the region and Nigeria in particular better serve its communities.
Our last-mile-logistics solution includes a technology component, which was recently developed to facilitate the implementation of the Chemotherapy Access Partnership (CAP) program in Nigeria. This program will ultimately create access to high quality drugs at a significantly discounted price, pooling together volumes from participating hospitals in the country. This was done in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), American Cancer Society (ACS), as well as pharmaceutical drug manufacturers, Pfizer Inc. and Cipla Inc. and their in-country distributor, Worldwide Healthcare (WWCH).
This last-mile-logistics solution, which includes real time inventory and accounting management services, and a customized payment platform, has been designed to be applicable to primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare institutions in the country.
Contact:
Office of the Honorable Minister of State, Health
Eunice Akro, Head, Press and Public Relations
+234 8037876457
Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc.
Regan Lachapelle
+1.857.208.2788
press@clintonhealthaccess.org
American Cancer Society
Charaighn Sesock
+1.559.972.4877
Charaighn.sesock@cancer.org
Pfizer
Lisa O’Neill
+44 1737331536
Lisa.O’Neill@pfizer.com
Worldwide Healthcare
Uday Patil
+234-8051199508
uday@wwcvl.com
