Remi and Lara Olowookere Foundation launches cancer care hub to tackle Nigeria’s growing cancer burden

The Remi and Lara Olowookere Foundation has broken ground for the construction of the Lara Olowookere Specialist Hub (LOSH), a specialist Oncology Support and Advocacy facility being donated to Lagos State Ministry of Health, sited at Gbagada General Hospital in Lagos, in memory of the late Mrs Lara Olowookere.

The groundbreaking ceremony, held to coincide with Lara Olowookere’s 70th posthumous birthday, brought together members of the foundation, health professionals, donors, government representatives, hospital management and other dignitaries. Lara died in a London hospital in 2014 following a battle with cancer.

Speaking on the project, the Foundation Director, Mr. Daniel Olowookere, said LOSH was conceived as a specialist hub that would work closely with the Lagos State Health Commission and Gbagada General Hospital to strengthen Oncology and Gynaecology services and respond to the growing burden of cancer-related conditions.

Olowookere said the vision was to establish a Hub where cancer care would go beyond treating the disease to addressing the needs of the individual patient. According to him, LOSH would promote personalised treatment pathways based on evidence, compassion, and the unique circumstances of every patient.

He said the need for such a facility had become urgent, given the increasing cancer burden in Nigeria and the challenges confronting patients, including late presentation, limited access to specialist care, diagnosis, treatment and continuity of care, adding that LOSH was intended to become part of the solution to these challenges.

Beyond clinical services, Mr Olowookere said the Hub would provide a platform for cancer advocacy, clinical trials, and research, particularly into cancers affecting the West African population. He explained that locally relevant research could…