The Mediatrix Development Foundation has detected 21 confirmed breast cancer cases during a three-day medical outreach at the Obudu German Hospital in Cross River State.
The screening programme, organised to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, attracted 554 participants, including 501 women and 53 men, who received screening, health education, counselling and other medical services.
The President of the foundation and former First Lady of Cross River State, Dr. Linda Ayade, said the organisation was developing a follow-up plan to help those diagnosed with the disease access treatment at reduced costs.
“We detected 21 confirmed cases of breast cancer, and we are now working on a follow-up plan that would help them access care at a minimal cost,” she said.
Ayade explained that the initiative aimed to extend cancer awareness and screening services to rural communities, where many residents face financial and other barriers to accessing medical care.
“Those in the communities do not have easy access nor can they afford cancer care and treatment,” she said, adding that the programme also attracted participants from other local government areas.
She called on the government and policymakers to invest more in cancer care, noting that the high cost of treatment remained a major challenge for many Nigerians.
Early Detection
An oncology nurse at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Cecilia Azul, said late presentation remained a major challenge in treating cancer patients from Cross River.
She noted that many patients arrived at the hospital when the disease had reached an advanced stage, making treatment difficult and, in some cases, impossible.
Similarly, the Executive Director of the foundation, Olamide Onifade, urged women to overcome fear, ignorance and stigma and seek medical attention whenever necessary.
She stressed that early detection improved the chances of successful treatment and encouraged women to take advantage of available screening services.
The outreach began with an awareness road walk and stakeholder engagement, followed by a breast cancer awareness debate involving students from three schools.
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The school activity was designed to promote health education among young people and encourage greater awareness of breast cancer and the importance of early detection.
A medical team comprising six doctors and 20 nurses participated in the exercise, which also offered prostate health checks and counselling for men, alongside treatment for other medical conditions.
The foundation also distributed 200 dignity kits containing essential personal hygiene items, including sanitary pads, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste and towels to selected beneficiaries.
The three-day programme was co-sponsored by First Ladies Against Cancer, an alliance of serving and former governors’ wives working to increase cancer awareness and improve access to screening and treatment.
The organisers called on community leaders, women groups, faith-based organisations, schools, healthcare workers and development partners to sustain public education on cancer prevention, screening and early detection.
