First lady calls for sin tax to curb cancer in Nigeria

Kebbi’s First Lady has called on the federal government to introduce “sin” tax on products that have causative links to cancer and other non-communicable diseases in the country.

Dr Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, who is also the founder of Medicaid Cancer Foundation, said this during an art gala awareness and fund raising programme on prostate cancer organised by her foundation in collaboration with Johnson and Johnson with the theme: “Art for Cancer”.

Sin tax is levied on products that cause harmful effects on health, and the money realised from the sin tax, she said, would be used to fund the health sector.

According to her, having higher taxes placed on sweetened beverages, carbonated drinks, alcohol, tobacco and other products that had causative effects or were linked to non-communicable diseases would reduce consumption and provide additional revenue for health.

She further explained that cancer is preventable if people live healthy lifestyles by avoiding smoking, sedentary lifestyle, but eat healthy, exercise, go for regular medical checks, and that girls should take Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccines,  among others.

A Medical Science Liaison Officer at Johnson and Johnson, Ukeh Idahosa, said prostate cancer is curable and treatable  if detected early.

“The sad reality is that many men who walk to our wards with prostate cancer come with advanced stages of the disease,” he said.