By Joshua Olomu
Abuja – A cancer advocacy group, Stand Up To Cancer Nigeria, on Thursday said it would roll out free cancer screening for residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Mr Caleb Egwuenu, Project Director of the NGO, said in a statement in Abuja that the exercise was part of the organisation’s quarterly health sensitisation programme, “Eat and Screen’’.
Egwuenu said that the exercise was geared toward promoting healthy eating and regular screening in the society.
The director said that the screening was scheduled to hold on January 28 at “Eat To Live Lifestyle’’ GCL Plaza, Aminu Kano Crescent in Wuse 2.
He called on corporate bodies to identify with the project in the collective fight against cancer.
Egwuenu said, “Regular cancer screening will help to reduce cancer-related burdens and its consequent death rate in our society.
“This will afford participants the opportunity to have free screenings for breast cancer, blood pressure test, sugar level test and Body Mass Index (BMI).
“We understand the power of information and therefore, see need to sensitise the public on the importance of healthcare and regular medical screenings.
“We will continue to emphasise the need for early detection and how it serves as pro-active measure to fight and survive cancer.”
The project director decried cancer prevalence rate in the country, saying that many of its related deaths would have been preventable if the victims had availed themselves of compulsory cancer screening.
He said many Nigerians believed that there was no need for medical checkup when he or she was not ill.
“If identification of an ailment is done early enough, treatment could commence, leaving one with better chances of survival.
“If those who were diagnosed of cancer at a later stage had prior knowledge of the availability of cancer detection screening, they would have been able to access early treatment.
“Our belief, which is an element of this approach, supports the knowledge that early detection is a great tool to fight and survive cancer,” the director said.
Egwuenu said that some corporate bodies including Swissgarde, Medicaid Radiology, Mediciad Cancer Foundation, Envy 365, Serphic World, and 3Js Hotel, were supporting the NGO.
“We have had free screening over the years, and in October last year we had an unprecedented turnout during the exercise in Abuja, hence, there is need for more support and sponsorship,” he said.
