Nigeria's National Orientation Agency Calls for Early Lung Cancer Screening on World Lung Cancer Day

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) urged Nigerians to adopt healthy lifestyles, avoid smoking, undergo regular medical check‑ups and support people living with lung cancer as part of the observance of World Lung Cancer Day on August 1, 2026. The agency highlighted that early detection and treatment significantly improve survival rates and that lung cancer can affect both smokers and non‑smokers.

The 2026 campaign theme, “Together through lung cancer,” aims to raise public awareness of symptoms, promote smoking cessation, encourage high‑risk individuals to be screened, and dispel misconceptions about the disease. NOA also listed additional risk factors such as passive smoking, air pollution, asbestos exposure, occupational chemicals, radon gas, prior chest radiation and family history, while calling for better access to quality cancer care for patients, survivors and caregivers.