Research has revealed that oxides of carbon emissions from generators worsen the high prevalence of cancers in Nigeria and other countries.
Worse still, an oncologist at National Hospital has raised alarm that the increasing rates at which cancers of the breast, cervix and prostrate are being diagnosed, cancer may surpass HIV/AIDS as the leading killer disease in Abuja.
A report which highlighted the gravity of the problem was made available in Abuja Monday during an international conference on Mathematical Modelling, jointly organised by the National Mathematical Centre, Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) and the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS).
Speaking to journalists, the Director and Chief Executive, National Mathematical Centre (NMC), Prof Adewale Solarin, said the report says that fumes from generators are responsible for the high increase in cancer because they are carcinogenic.
He said, “If you have for instance, in a whole village or a whole town, electricity is generated from one source and it is distributed to everywhere, then you can control the pollution from that point. But now, it’s virtually in every building that you have generators and this is causing a lot of pollution.
“That’s one of the reasons that we have to now find ways of controlling carbon emission from the various causes as it is no longer from cars only. You see every building with 20 families, using generators with carbon monoxide being emitted into the atmosphere. This is one of the findings in the report.”
The NMC chief executive said the research is an international programme with many countries participating, including Nigeria, Tanzania, Morocco, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Jamaica.
“Everybody is coming together with their reports. But the findings all attest to the fact that emission of gases into the atmosphere is causing pollution which is responsible for cancer, apart from the issue of global warming, health issues, including proliferation of cancer.”
The executive director, COMSATS, Dr Imtinan Qureshi, explained that Mathematical Modelling has many applications in scientific and technological fields having direct relevance to socio-economic development, including physics, biology, chemistry, meteorology, geo-sciences, various engineering disciplines, medicine, space sciences, transportation, economics, etc.
He expressed confidence that the international conference would facilitate scientific and technological cooperation among the participating scientists from various developing countries, and enhance their capabilities to address challenges related to environmental protection and health.
The research papers presented during the two-day conference pertained to the applications of mathematical modelling in two areas which include environmental protection and health and ecological risk assessment.
He added that cooperation between COMSATS and ISESCO dates back to 2004, which brings joint activities in various fields of science and technology.
According to him, the two organisations have recently launched a joint research grant for supporting the activities of young scientists and researchers in developing countries.
“I am pleased to inform you that the joint research project being executed on mathematical modelling entitled, ‘Mathematical Modelling and Simulation of Air and Water Pollution: Effects and Remedies’ has been selected for sponsorship under the scheme.
Meanwhile, a nurse oncologist at the National Hospital, Abuja, Jane Agabi, has raised alert that cancer cases are increasing on a daily basis in the country, as up to 90 cases are being diagnosed during the hospital’s clinic days.
According to Agabi, cancer is about to surpass HIV/AIDS pandemic in Nigeria as 26 females die of cervical cancer and 40 women die of cancer of the breast, including deaths from prostate cancer on daily basis.
-Leadership