NCPP is an umbrella vehicle for all the cancer prevention initiatives of mass medical mission. It was formally launched by the then First Lady represented by the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development on the 18th of October, 2008.
The National Cancer Prevention Programme (NCPP) is a nonprofit initiative of mass medical mission (mmm) focused primarily on cancer prevention. NCPP is an umbrella vehicle for all the cancer prevention initiatives of mass medical mission and the operator of the BIG WAR Against Cancer.
On October 18, 2007 NCPP started the campaign against cervical cancer (known as the National Cervical Cancer Prevention Programme (NCCPP), which also incorporated breast cancer screening. NCCPP was a foremost and major national effort towards the control of cervical cancer in Nigeria. One year after the commencement of the campaign, NCPP was formally launched by the then First Lady represented by the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development on the 18th of October, 2008. Other can were later integrated into the programme, which was then renamed – the National Cancer Prevention Programme (NCPP).
Cancer is a global epidemic. The global cancer epidemic is not only huge but is set to rise. Currently, one out of every five persons will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime and it is projected that by 2030, one in every two persons will be diagnosed of the disease in their lifetime. More than 20 million people develop cancer every year, and this figure is projected to rise to over 21 million by 2030.
World Health Organization (W.H.O.) latest data shows that worldwide, cancer is now responsible for almost 1 in 6 deaths globally. Each year 9.7 million people die from cancer. Sadly, about 70% of these deaths occur in developing countries like Nigeria.
According to W.H.O. there were almost 80,000 cancer deaths in Nigeria in 2022. Breast cancer kills 45 Nigerian women daily, cervical cancer kills 20 Nigerian women daily, prostate cancer kills 32 Nigerian men daily, and colorectal cancer kills 16 Nigerians daily.
The good news is that most cancer deaths are preventable. According to WHO (2002), one-third of cancers is preventable, another one-third is curable and the last third can have good quality of life with appropriate care.
NCPP is therefore, committed to coordinating the setting up of a well – organized national cancer screening programme in Nigeria. Since the commencement of the NCPP campaign, the NCPP has been helping to protect millions of Nigerians from cancer through community-based health outreaches as well as advocacy and awareness.
NCPP has now scaled up its effort by introducing several life-saving initiatives, including: Mission PinkCruise, Mission PinkVISSION, Mission PinkDentist, Wellness Wednesday, Family Friday, Premarital Health Promotion Programme, among others.
“Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical , and expecting more than others think is possible.” – Mac Anderson