The Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) has repositioned its facility to fight cancer on all fronts in order to reduce deaths from the disease.

This was even as Governor Hyacinth Alia decried the high rate of at least 79,000 people who died annually from cancer-related illnesses in Nigeria.

Alia, quoting records at the International Health Investment Summit and Scientific Exhibition with the theme: "Towards Attaining a One-Stop Hospital", organised by BSUTH, stressed the need for all hands to be on deck to curb the cancer menace.

He said, "Cancer has been responsible for 79,000 deaths, and approximately 124,000 cases in Nigeria each year, accounting for the second highest cancer burden in Africa. New approaches and collective efforts are needed to reverse the ugly trend.

"Therefore, promoting health through the life course is becoming more important than ever before, which explains in part, why our administration is committed to increasing health expenditure as evidenced in this year 2024 approved budget. The result of this commitment is that the narrative of poor budgetary allocation to the health sector is intentionally being reversed."

The governor added that the summit was put together to provide a platform for fruitful discussions, knowledge sharing and networking opportunities among healthcare professionals, policy makers, researchers and investors from around the world.

He donated N2bn to support the cause.

Earlier, the Chief Medical Director of BSUTH, Dr Stephen Hwande, intimated that the hospital would soon begin operations of a Very Important Personality (VIP) clinic and an ultra-modern cancer centre in order to curb medical tourism.

He said the hospital was on the quest to birth a comprehensive cancer centre with an already improved manpower as the summit targeted a N5bn endowment fund to attaining a one-stop hospital.