Enhancing Cancer Care in Nigeria: Addressing Gaps and Opportunities in Teaching Hospitals

Abstract

Background: Cancer is currently a global health issue and has claimed the lives of many.  Cancer used to be a previously more prevalent in high-income countries, but at the moment, 75% of new cancer cases could be from low and middle income countries (LMIC). Healthcare workers play a vital role in oncology care. Hence, this study was conducted to identify the gaps and opportunities for improving cancer care in a teaching hospital setting from a healthcare workers’ perspective. Aim: The study took a deep dive into the current state of cancer care in Nigeria to identify gaps and possible opportunities for improvement in cancer care with regard to the clinical outcomes, economic barriers, oncology training and cancer policy from the healthcare worker’s policy. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted among healthcare workers (n = 45) working in the oncology department at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria. There are 50 healthcare workers (doctors, pharmacists, and nurses) in the oncology department of UNTH. We got a 90% response rate, hence making our study sample 45. Questionnaires were self-administered. Results: A total of 45 patients were included in this study. The gender distribution is 23 males and 22 females. 87% of healthcare workers agreed that their patients were satisfied with the care they got from the oncology team. Over 80% agreed that their patients go through financial hardship due to the cost of cancer treatments. Just only about 55% agreed that the oncology training is adequately integrated into their medical training. Also, only 42% felt very confident in their skills in handling oncology cases. Most never knew a cancer care policy existed in the country and the national cancer policy has no technical working group to handle each type of cancer. Conclusion: The study discovered that high treatment costs are a major barrier to effective cancer care in Nigeria. It also revealed significant gaps in oncology training and policy awareness among healthcare professionals, indicating a need for more comprehensive educational and systemic reforms to improve cancer care outcomes.