Abuja – Ms Nikky Onyeri, the Chief Executive Officer of Princess Nikky Breast Cancer Foundation on Tuesday said the Foundation would set up a cancer screening centre for breast, cervical and prostrate cancers in 2016.
Onyeri disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, while reacting to the alarming rate of cancer incidences in the country.
She said that the country’s population was not in proportion to the available cancer management facilities, adding, however, that its treatment was capital intensive.
She added that “we have been able to raise awareness on breast, cervical and prostate cancer; we also have been able to get people to start the actual work.
“We have moved to the next stage which is screening and already we have people who promised to raise funds to support us nationally and internationally by next year.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
“Also, we are making arrangements for screening equipment and installation. We will also support the screening so that women who can afford it will screen at reduced cost.
“However, people who cannot afford the screening will be screened free of charge, which is the global standard.’’
Onyeri said that the Foundation was also collaborating with advanced cancer care centres at the international community to treat patients who were being assisted by the organisation at subsidised rate.
She noted that “we are collaborating with hospitals in Kenya and Egypt to give us good rates for cancer treatment in order to assist indigent patients.
“The hospitals will assist by treating patients we send to them at 50 per cent discount and that is a huge relief to us in terms of resources.’’
According to her, cancer is not a death sentence, awareness and early detection is the best approach to its cure.
She explained that there were many cancer survivors and that patients should not shy away from identifying the problem, screening and treating the disease as it is curable.
She, however, appealed to the Federal Government to scale-up cancer care management and treatment facilities in the country. (NAN)