Amosun’s Wife Assures Cancer Patients of Govt Support

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by - Oct 16, 2015

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Wife of the Governor of Ogun State, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun has assured women diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer of the state’s support, saying the government would sponsor their treatment with the aim of reducing mortality rate in the state.

The governor’s wife disclosed this during the 2015 Free Breast and Cervical Cancer Awareness and Screening Exercise she organised in collaboration with the Medical Women Association (MWAN) Ogun State Chapter at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic in Abeokuta.

She encouraged women to embrace regular breast and cervical screening to prevent the scourge of the disease.

Mrs. Amosun stressed the need for massive sensitisation campaign against breast and cervical cancer. She said that hundreds of women die daily of breast and cervical cancer across the world, adding that the state government was committed to the well-being of its citizenry, particularly women and the girl-child who are more vulnerable to the disease.

She said the aim of the screening exercise was to increase early detection in order to prevent the prevalence of cancer among women, explaining that her Uplift Development Foundation would continue to partner stakeholders to improve the health of women in the state.

In her remarks the President Medical Women Association, Ogun State Chapter, Dr. Bunmi Fatugase advised the students and women to avail themselves of the opportunity of the free cancer screening and surgery put together by the state government and the wife of the governor.

She noted that women were always engaged in the care of their husbands and children thus neglecting their own health, encouraging participants to give more attention of their health in order to stay healthy.

Early Detection is Key to Surviving Breast Cancer, Says Anozie

Common Ailments

by - Oct 16, 2015

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In a bid to reduce incidence rate of breast cancer in the country, health experts, stakeholders and cancer survivors have reinstated that self examination is key to preventing the scourge, while early detection and prompt treatment is key to surviving breast cancer.

They stated this at a 10 Kilometres walk to mark Care Organisation Public Enlightenment’s (COPE), 20th anniversary and this year’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Lagos.

Addressing hundreds of participants at the well attended walk which kicked off as early as 7:00amSaturday 10th October, from the Arch Bishop Vining Church, GRA , Ikeja, to Maryland and back to Arch Bishop Vining Church, the Chief Executive Officer, COPE, Mrs Ebunola Anozie, lamented the attitude of late presentation and lack of comprehensive cancer centre as major factors affecting survival rates in the country.

Anozie said the aim of the walk was solely to raise awareness about breast cancer as part of efforts to reduce its mortality rate in the country, adding that the disease was curable if presentation is made at the early stage.

Lamenting treatment challenges faced by cancer patients in the country, Anozie appealed to the Federal Government to build a comprehensive cancer centre to aid treatment of patients, stating that this would reduce brain drain as well as stop the mad rush to other countries for treatment.

Also lending his voice, representative of Chapel of Healing Cross, Idi Araba, Dr. Wale Ogundetoun lamented that a lot of people were coming down with cancer contrary to the earlier belief that the disease occur only in people above 50s and 60 years.

He called for a special fund for Nigerians who cannot afford the needed resources for their medical treatment. “The government should improve our healthcare facilities. There are many who cannot afford treatment and they are lying down in the hospital without hope. With improved healthcare facilities and provision of special funds for those who cannot afford it, more people will survive and the burden will be reduced on families and patients as well as the society in general.”

Also speaking, a cancer survivor who is also the Vice President of COPE, Mrs. Kehinde Gbelee said that there have been a lot of improvement in awareness and treatment better than when she was diagnosed of cancer, adding that there was now chances of surviving cancer in Nigeria.

She encouraged patients to come out and get help before it becomes too late for them.
“To survive cancer, you must keep to your medicine and take your chemotherapy and radiotherapy as well as do all that the doctors advised because at the end of every dark tunnel there is always a bright light. “

Another survivor, Mrs. Funmi Olufumi layo Dada, called on the Federal Government to address the treatment problems in the country. According to her, the continued break down of radiotherapy machines across the country has further stretched the burden on the patients.

“Due to continuous breakdown of radio therapy machines, Patients travel from Lagos to Benin, sometimes from here to Abuja and Kaduna just to get radio therapy or some special medical investigations.

“There is need for government to provide investigative equipment. Treatment is very expensive, some of the treatment like chemotherapy cost as high as N10, million. They should liaise with pharmaceutical companies to bring down the prices of these drugs so that it can be affordable and people can live longer.

Speaking, representative of Skye Bank, Head Corporate Communication Function, Mr. Rasheed Bolarinwa, who said they have supported COPE in the last 10 years, added that the bank decided to adopt breast cancer as their a corporate responsibility due to the devastating effects it has on families psychologically and financially.

Bolarinwa noted that breast cancer was one of the cancers with the highest mortality rates globally, hence the need to support organisations like COPE who have good visions.
Commending COPE on their 20th Anniversary, he urged them to do ore in order to save more lives.