Nigeria's pediatric cancer crisis worsens amid shortage of skilled medical professionals, say specialists.

Nigeria's childhood cancer care system is facing criticism for its lack of multidisciplinary collaboration and limited social support, according to experts who are calling for urgent reform, with the World Child Cancer citing lessons from Ghana and other African centers where survival outcomes are improving.

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Dr. John Balogun, a pediatric oncologist, is advocating for a multidisciplinary approach and investment in specialist pediatric oncology training as a national healthcare priority to manage childhood cancer in Nigeria, following his two-year fellowship training in Ghana under the auspices of the World Child Cancer.

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Balogun emphasized that effective pediatric oncology relies on a strong multidisciplinary team approach, where care extends beyond a single doctor's intervention, and involves collaboration with surgeons, radiologists, and other specialists to provide comprehensive care.

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In better-performing systems, the pediatric oncologist leads a coordinated team that meets regularly to review cases and make joint decisions focused on the patient, with a remarkable level of passion and collaboration, according to Balogun.

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Organizations such as World Child Cancer are working with partners across Africa to train pediatric oncologists and specialist nurses, helping countries like Nigeria build sustainable systems for childhood cancer care, and transform the chances of survival for children with cancer.

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To improve survival rates, Nigeria needs to invest in specialist pediatric oncology training as a national healthcare priority, supporting doctors and nurses to train, and equipping hospitals with the necessary medicines and infrastructure, according to Balogun.

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Awareness must also improve, as many children are never diagnosed or diagnosed late due to unrecognized early signs, and earlier diagnosis increases survival and reduces the burden on families, with training one specialist able to transform care for thousands over the course of a career.

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Social support has emerged as a defining factor in improving outcomes, with teams surrounding the child and supporting them, even bringing school into the ward, in centers where childhood cancer care is thriving, such as Ghana.

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Late diagnosis continues to undermine treatment success in Nigeria, with an estimated 75 percent of children presenting at advanced stages of cancer, often Stage IV, and financial constraints also pose a challenge, with treatment costs being high and some families turning to alternative options.

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Nigeria can improve outcomes by adapting proven strategies from within the region, particularly around teamwork, patient support, and early diagnosis, according to Balogun, who emphasized the need to start implementing these changes.

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According to Luke Thomas, CEO of World Child Cancer, an estimated 40,000 children develop cancer each year in Nigeria, and survival rates remain far below what is possible, with more than 80 percent of children with cancer surviving in countries with the right systems and expertise.

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The gap in survival rates is not due to childhood cancer being untreatable, but rather due to a critical shortage of professionals trained in pediatric oncology, with children in Nigeria often being treated by general pediatricians or adult oncologists working under immense pressure.

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However, Nigeria is already beginning to see the impact of investing in specialist pediatric oncology training, with doctors like Dr. John Balogun returning to Nigeria to strengthen services and treat children, and Dr. Hamza Yusuf currently undergoing a two-year fellowship training thanks to support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).