World Breast Cancer Day: Bauchi, NAWOJ, Keystone Bank, NGO Step Up Awareness Campaign

•Advocate healthy lifestyle

Fidelis David in Akure and Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

Worried by increasing cases of breast cancer in Bauchi State, the State government at the weekend announced that it would introduce effective measures towards addressing the incident across the State.

To this end, the State Government has disclosed plan to partner groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to create awareness on dangers associated with the disease.

This was just as in Ondo State, an NGO, Walk With Us Cancer Foundation and Keystone Bank have called on Nigerian women to adopt healthy lifestyles and scrutinise the food they eat to avoid toxic substances that could lead to breast cancer and other deadly non-communicable diseases.

Also, the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Bauchi State Chapter in collaboration with Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN) with support from the office of the Bauchi First Lady has organised a free breast and Cervical Cancer screening for women in Bauchi state.

Speaking while receiving a group of NGOs on an advocacy visit to Government House, Bauchi, as part of the activities marking 2023 World Breast Cancer Day, at the weekend, the State Governor, Senator Bala Abdukadir Mohammed, said the government was concerned with the number of deaths being recorded as a result of breast cancer related diseases.

Represented by Secretary to the State Government(SSG), Ibrahim Kashim, the Governor said: “This month serves as a sad reminder regarding the significance of early detection practices alongside education initiatives and support system for those impacted by breast cancer and we fight together to overcome this disease.”

Mohammed, said the state government through Ministry of Health would also establish Breast Cancer Screening Centres in all parts of the state including rural areas.

Also speaking, the State Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Alhaji Nuru Yusuf Kobi, who underscored the importance of the advocacy assured that the Agency would also contribute in enlightening public.

Speaking on behalf of the NGOs, a leader of the group, Aisha Bappa while commending the state government for supporting the annual advocacy programme noted that the group had embarked on a free breast cancer screening exercise as part of activities marking the day.

In the same vein, NAWOJ Bauchi State Chapter in collaboration with PPFN with support from the office of the Bauchi First Lady organised a free breast and Cervical Cancer screening for women in Bauchi state.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the programme that held in Bauchi, Bauchi State First Lady, Hajiya Aisha Bala  Mohammed described breast and Cervical Cancer as one of the leading cause of deaths among women globally.

Represented by Hon Hassan Arkila, the First Lady said the administration of Bala Mohammed had been making frantic efforts in addressing the ugly scourge of breast and cervical cancer in the state by collaborating with health partners and stakeholders as well as keying into health programmes in that regard.

Speaking earlier, the State Chairperson of NAWOJ Rashida Yusuf, said women, particularly those residing in rural areas needed to be educated on breast and Cervical Cancer as many of them are not aware of what the disease is all about.

She said that the programme was timely considering the fact that many women usually detect the disease when it is in an advance stage, making it difficult to manage because of the high cost of treatment.

Meanwhile, in Ondo State, the NGO and Keystone Bank at the weekend during a sensitisation campaign in Akure, to mark this year’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness of the complex disease, with the theme: “Awareness is key: Educate, Empower, Eradicate,” harped on healthy lifestyles.

The Assistant Programme Manager, Walk With Us Cancer Foundation, Dr. Anyanwu John said, in Nigeria, cancer was increasingly recognised as a critical health problem, hence, the need for the initiative which featured health walk, breast self-examination techniques, free breast screening and prevention of the disease.

His words: “Most artificial food are carcinogenic in nature, so we advise women not to eat more of artificial food, rather, they should eat fresh food with less fertilizer.

“They should eat natural organic food that will help to boost their immune system because cancer is just an abnormal growth in the body. And most times, it is caused by what we take into our body. So, we advise people to take food that are healthy and natural.”

Speaking on what role the government could play in minimising toxic substances in the country, he said, “not too long ago, we heard the news of National Agency for Food Administration and Control (NAFDAC) placing a temporary ban on some food because of what they found out.

“We expect more of these regulatory bodies that are involved in food and drugs to help checkmate and regulate the availability and movement of food in the country to help checkmate this disease. In other words, more of control and awareness because we can’t say government should fund.

“We collaborated with Keystone because the bank is in the forefront of fighting Cancer and we target above 50 people for the free screening.”

The Branch Manager, Keystone Bank, Akure Mrs Omolara Adeniyi said her bank saw the Pink Month (October) as a month where efforts were being made to educate those concerned about the disease, including early identification and signs and symptoms associated with breast cancer.

“These days, a lot of women eat junks, so, we advise women to eat healthy, drink lots of water, stay away from fizzy drinks, take more of fruits and vegetables, with that, they will be healthy.

“In our bank, we are particular about women, we have a special account for women, which supports women economically and their businesses, so we deemed it necessary as a means of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), giving back to the society to make people aware of this disease and how to eradicate it and as you can see, we are doing free screening,” she added.

Also, the Special Adviser to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Gender, Mrs. Olamide Falana, said the awareness was in line with the vision of the state, taken the burden of at least sensitising the people and providing assistance.

She said, Ondo State’s First Lady, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, being a cancer survivor herself had taken the awareness to all the nooks and crannies of the State so that it could be kicked out of the sunshine state.