A cancer advocacy group, Stand Up To Cancer Nigeria, on Sunday urged Nigerians to embrace voluntary medical check against cancer.
The groups also decried what it called “poor interest in voluntary health checkup’’ by many Nigerians.
Mr Caleb Egwuenu, Project Director of the NGO, expressed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during the quarterly “Eat and Screen” programme of the organisation in Abuja. ‘Eat and Screen’ is a youth-driven health sensitisation initiative against cancer and also advocate healthy eating and regular screening across genders in the society.
The event offers free cancer screening, blood pressure, sugar level and BMI tests to residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to Egwuenu, many Nigerians believed that there is no need for medical checkup when he or she was not ill.
“This opinion has made many have little or no interest in going for a voluntary checkup.
“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,” he stressed.
Besides, the director advised people, whether young or old, to always seek relevant health information as that was paramount in having a healthy lifestyle.
He added that such information was very important in handling cancer-related burdens and other terminal ailments.
“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,’’ he said.
NAN reports that more than 100 participants attended the first “Eat and Screen” event for the year, which held at the “Eat to Live Lifestyle’’ GCL Plaza, Aminu Kano Crescent in Wuse 2.
The participants received free cancer screening, blood pressure, sugar level and other tests.
Miss Shudah Ahmed, a volunteer with the NGO, said she was championing the call for regular and voluntary cancer checkup because she had lost a family member to cancer.
“I lost my mother to cancer, so I understand the importance of periodic checkup, whether one is sick or not.
“People should not wait until they are sick before seeking medical advice or information, because it might be too late then,’’ she advised.
NAN also reports that Stand Up To Cancer Nigeria, among other initiatives, provides essential medical information for people having cancer related issues, among others.
It helps individuals and families to understand, interpret and act upon the most reliable and recent breast cancer information for informed decision making. (NAN)
