Abuja, Nigeria – No fewer than 746 Nigerians die annually of oral cancer complications, Nigerian Minister of Health Osagie Ehanire said on Monday.
Mr Ehanire, represented by Gloria Uzo-Igwe, head of the dentistry division of the federal health ministry, disclosed this at a one-day oral cancer training on Monday in Abuja.
It was also disclosed that the Nigeria records at least 1,146 diagnosed cases of the disease each year, expressing worry that most citizens were not aware of the devastating effect of oral cancer.
To this effect, he said the Nigerian government has set up an oral health policy that will soon be launched in the country to prevent the high rate of oral cancer, also called oral cavity cancer, which develops in any part of the mouth.
The minister said the new policy will ensure that health workers are deployed to rural areas where they can recognize early signs of oral cancer and refer the patients to the hospitals where dentists can give treatment.
Read Also: India Now World’s Most Populous Nation
The policy is targeted at being able to map at least 50 percent of the population in the rural areas, the official added.
According to the World Health Organization, the risk factors for oral cancer include tobacco use, heavy alcohol use, and human papillomavirus infection.
Oral cancer is also called oral cavity cancer and develops in any part of the mouth. Its symptoms include a sore that doesn’t heal, a lump or a white or red patch on the inside of the mouth.
