The wife of Anambra State governor, Mrs Nonye Soludo, has narrated that early diagnosis, basic disease awareness, and timely checks are key steps to beating the threats of cancers.
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Mrs Soludo made the call in a statement released in Awka to commemorate this year’s World Cancer Day. She noted that it is important to spread the message of cancer threats affirming that it is not entirely a death sentence.
She stated that, “Discovering the disease early enough is key in the whole process, to achieve the mitigation result, all stakeholders are expected to team up to amplify the education and awareness, especially in rural communities.
“Cancer, just like every other household disease, can be prevented by healthy living and being intentional with dietary rules and overall consumption habits.”
Mrs Soludo pointed out that the growing deaths from different types of cancer, call for a more tactical approach, closer collaborations, and smarter ideas to educate, counsel, treat, and mitigate.
Mrs Soludo, who is a Cervical Cancer Ambassador, said that while the arrival of Human Papillomavirus (HPV), vaccine in the state is very close, Anambra State has made good gains on the national cancer index as a result of on-the-ground policies, including the free cervical cancer screening and treatment programmes initiated by the state government.
She further expressed hopes that her breast cancer mitigation programme, which will kick off soon, will be important to the drive to take cancer mortality in the state to near zero.
She hailed the efforts of partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO), Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), who have shown strong support for government policies to push back cancer in Anambra State.
World Cancer Day is commemorated globally on the 4th of February every year to raise awareness and re-assess stakeholders’ actions to mitigate all forms of cancer across the world.
The theme for the 2022-2024 campaign is “Close the cancer gap,” while the theme for the 2024 fixture is “Together, we challenge those power.”
This theme encompasses the global demand for leaders to prioritize and invest in cancer prevention and care and to do more to achieve a just and cancer-free world.
This year marks the third and final year of the campaign.
