Breaking the Silence on Ovarian Cancer in Nigeria: A Pilot Initiative
The World Ovarian Cancer Coalition and the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) in Nigeria have launched a bold pilot project to boost awareness, early detection, and access to lifesaving ovarian cancer care.
Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecologic cancer worldwide, often diagnosed at an advanced stage. In Nigeria, awareness is significantly lower than the global average, with 38.8% of women having never heard of ovarian cancer, according to the Every Woman Study™ Low- and Middle-Income Edition.
This pilot, launched during International Cancer Week 2025, addresses the barriers identified in the study and will be rolled out across six states.
Project Objectives
Increasing awareness of ovarian cancer among women over 40 and healthcare workers
Training 60 frontline healthcare workers with standardised skills for early detection and referral
Reducing diagnosis times from six months to four weeks for 80% of suspected cases
Expanding access to molecular and genetic testing by 10%
“This pilot marks an important milestone in Nigeria’s commitment to addressing women’s cancers. Over the past two years, NICRAT has trained over 2,000 healthcare workers across specialties of cancer care. The insights gained from this pilot will guide national strategies to reduce the burden of ovarian cancer and improve outcomes for women across our country,”
– Professor Usman Malami Aliyu, Director General of NICRAT.
Why This Pilot Matters
Women in low- and middle-income countries are disproportionately underserved when it comes to ovarian cancer. By strengthening prevention, early diagnosis, and care, this initiative can serve as a template for future projects worldwide, helping to transform outcomes for women everywhere.
Through innovation, community engagement, and capacity building, the project aims to give every woman in Nigeria the chance to be heard, diagnosed early, and treated with dignity.
Current Updates
Over the past eight months, the partnership has developed clinical referral protocols and a triage system for frontline healthcare workers; a national training framework for clinicians, pathologists, and community health workers; community awareness materials in five local languages; and an Ovarian Cancer Survivors Network launched across all six pilot states. A systematic review of ovarian cancer in Nigeria, registered on PROSPERO, has independently confirmed that more than 80% of women currently present at advanced stage, sharpening further the case for this work.
The foundation is in place. Implementation is now around the corner. We hope this initiative inspires others across our global community to follow: to take the evidence we collectively hold about women’s lived experience and translate it into changed healthcare realities for women with ovarian cancer. This is proof that lived experience data, when taken seriously, can change a system. And we are only getting started.