Breast Cancer Awareness: Ogun First Lady Advocates Regular Screening

By Yetunde Oluwo, Abeokuta

The Wife of the Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun has called on women to imbide the culture of regular screening for breast cancer as an essential way of preventing the disease.  

Bamidele made this call while flagging off a Breast Cancer Awareness programme in Abeokuta organized by Ministry of Health in conjunction with  the Ajose Foundation, said that the current administration in the State had shown a positive dispostion towards promoting breast cancer screening among the female residents. 

The Wife of the Governor, who was represented by Mrs. Olamide Dairo, described breast cancer as the most common cancer among women across the world, saying early detection would ensure easier and cheaper treatment.

She assured that her Foundation and relevant government Ministries, Departments and Agencies would continue to work with the private sector and community influencers to sponsor free mammogrammy amongst female residents

In her address, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker said women in the State can prevent breast cancer by registering with the State Health Insurance Scheme under the "Ilera D'ero" initiative of the government, pointing out that a token of N1000 monthly will facilitate regular screening and treatment of the disease among other over 300 diseases covered by the scheme.  

She said that with developing countries like Nigeria contributing the highest quota of about 61% to the global burden of breast cancer, schemes like "Ilera D'ero" would help to reverse the trend over time, especially in Ogun State. 

The Commissioner assured that her leadership remained committed to providing a cancer screening programme for Ogun State citizens, adding that it had been captured in the freshly-launched 2023 Annual Operational Plan for the Health Sector.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Kayode Oladehinde, charged participants to all the utilize all the information provided at the programme, noting the should spread the message of early detection of cancer to their loved ones.

In her lecture, the President, Medical Women's Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Dr. Bisi Dedeke, admonished people to embrace regular self-examination of their breasts within the comfort of their homes and clinical examination at health facilities.