THIS year is the seventh International Cancer Week in
Nigeria. It is a platform for people who are in the area of
cancer control to further spread the message on how to
detect cancer early.
According to Professor Ifeoma Okoye, founder of a non-
governmental organization (NGO) called Breast Without
Spot (BWS), these people include medical people, health
care providers and non-governmental organisations working
in the area of cancer control.
“We have survivors, relations of survivors, just about
anybody who has a passion to see how to fight cancer and
control it. And reduce the devastation on our population.
Over the past couple of years, a lot of people who are
working in the area of cancer control have raised awareness
in many ways on cancer, organising pink dinner and
congresses. But what we have noticed is that it appears that
it is all done for focus groups. The nation has never really
received a big bang impact on one particular effort.
“Whoever says no to late detection of cancer is a titan. We
have decided that we are going to call on all Nigerians to be
titans against cancer and to come out and be in pink on the
October 5. This event is not meant to be an event in itself. It
actually ought to be a mass movement. There is no need for
you to leave your work place,” Okoye said.
She urged as many centres as possible across the nation
which have the ability to offer any form of screening, or give
discounted screening prices or even offer free screening, to
do so to mark the event.
“We know that we have 80,000 people that die of cancer in
Nigeria annually, and 10 people die every day of the
disease. About eight people died of Ebola and the whole
country was in panic.”
Okoye said cancer is one of the non-communicable diseases
that share risk factors with other non- communicable
diseases. “We want to see how we can get people to detect
cancer early so that they don’t have to die from cancer,
especially when it is the non- aggressive form. Detect cancer
early, you can have cure for some of the cancer and extended
life, quality life.”
Okoye revealed that there are people with breast cancer that
are alive even 40 or 50 years after. “In Nigeria, why cancer
appears to be synonymous with death is because people are
coming late to present in the hospitals. We are asking people
that are well to make it a habit to go for screening. We are
using the opportunity of this awareness to tell them why
they have to go for screening. At what age should they go
for prostate cancer check? By the time we finish with this
mass campaign, we hope that we would be able to fully
optimally sensitize the entire country in this movement.
“People can mobilise as many of their families, colleagues in
work place, friends and persons within their sphere of
influence to put on pink ties, scarves and decorate their
surroundings with pink décor, including pink balloons and
ribbons.
“Whatever you have, whether it is an old clothing that is
pink, just utilize it. We don’t want people to go spend any
money. You are driving your car to work, you have a pink
balloon tied to it or you decorate it your with pink ribbon.
We want everybody going gaga with pink. Even you can use
pink flowers.
“You can also visit our website www.international
cancerweek.org. We would have information for you on
where it is possible for you to get screened. We are also
doing advocacy with those different places where you can
get screened or vaccinated for HPV vaccine for young girls
between the ages of nine and 14. We are trying to advocate
for them to either give this services free or discounted.”
Finally, she urged people to join in the three-day
programme they are organising for the International Cancer
Week congress which is taking place at the Sheraton in
Abuja from Oct. 6 to 8 from 9am to 5pm daily. “The opening
ceremony is on the 7th in order to accommodate some of our
VIPs that will be coming for the programme,” Okoye said.
She added that the International Cancer Week is being
organised in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Health.
“You can register for the programme on-line or get the
details on our website. You don’t need to be a medical
person to attend and benefit.”
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