Mr Victor Ekpo, Executive Director of Pink Africa Foundation has disclosed that the survival rate of breast cancer in Nigeria was still below 50 per cent due to late presentation and poor awareness.
Ekpo made the call on Monday in Calabar during an awareness walk organised by Pink Africa Foundation in partnership with Asi Ukpo Cancer Centre and Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), among others, to raise awareness on the disease.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report that October, also known as the “pink month”, is a month set aside for global efforts to raise awareness of breast cancer and how early detection could save lives.
The executive director said beyond Cross River; they were also having the Go Pink Day commemoration in several African countries in collaboration with medical institutions with the aim of putting an end to the scourge of cancer.
“We want a situation where a woman notices a change on her breast and immediately reports to a hospital because she suspects something is wrong and does not stay at home to treat it in whatever way she likes.
“Also, we hope to screen 1,000 women, not just for breast cancer but also for cervical cancer, prostate cancer for men, the Human Immune Virus (HIV), and hepatitis and also give opportunities for free medical consultations.
“Anyone we observe with issues that look like breast cancer will be referred to the hospitals that partner with us, at a discounted rate, while we will be treating women with observable lumps on their breasts free of charge,” he said.
On her part, Dr Minika Hogan-Okon, President of MWAN, Cross River chapter, said breast cancer was curable when it was discovered early, adding that doctors can’t do magic when cases were presented late.
She called on all those who had a family history of cancer to be vigilant by carrying out constant breast examinations while noting that claiming “it’s not my portion” won’t solve the problem.
Similarly, Mr Yegwa Ukpo, Executive Director of Asi Ukpo Cancer Centre Calabar, said the cancer was gradually becoming a national emergency in the nation and needed to be tackled.
He, however, lamented the dearth of cancer centres in the nation, cultural stigma and the cost of cancer treatment, which was beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians.
“I urge the Federal Government to strengthen institutions like the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and Cancer Health Fund (CHF), among others, to assist Nigerians in financing treatment; on our part, we run a Cancer Assist Foundation (ACAF) to assist,” he noted.
Also speaking during the awareness walk, Mrs Edema Irom, Cross River’s Commissioner for Women Affairs, stated that the walk was purely for advocacy and sensitisation, promising that the ministry would ensure that the message was stepped down to the rural areas.