NGO offers free cervical cancer screening for women in Abuja

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October is for Pink October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease world wide.

The Association of Aliwe Daughters International (AADI), an Abuja-based NGO of Tiv women, on Sunday sponsored free cervical cancer screening for women in FCT,

The President of the association, Mrs Irene Awunah-Ikyegh, said the screening was in furtherance of its Cervical Cancer Campaign aimed at sensitising women to the need to go for early screening and detection where necessary.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the campaign is: “My Body my Right’’.

NAN also reports that no fewer than 150 women were screened with five of them diagnosed with the disease.

According to her, the condition of two of the five women diagnosed with the disease, is severe.

Awunah-Ikyegh stated that cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women.

She said regular checks and administration of drugs would go a long way in preventing the spread of the disease.

“The essence of the cervical cancer campaign is to sensitise the women to how they can know the condition of their pelvis.

“Cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women.

“It accounted for about 8.2 million deaths in 2015 worldwide.

“Most cancers can be prevented if routine checks and vaccines are administered to individuals, who are predisposed.

“There are various forms of cancers; however, our campaign will focus on cervical cancer because about 84 per cent of cervical cancer cases occur in less developed countries, with the highest incidence in Africa.

“Cervical cancer is a disease that occurs in female and women become susceptible to developing cervical cancer following infection with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV),’’ Awunah-Ikyegh said.

At a dinner organised after the campaign, Mrs Eunice Erdoo-Ortom, the wife of the Benue Governor, promised to partner with the association to take the campaign to rural communities in the state.

Erdoo-Ortom, who was represented by Mrs Febrohia Orya, a Special Assistant, said that most of the women in the country, who had the disease lacked knowledge about the disease.

According to her, the campaign embarked upon by the association is in line with the state government’s objective of ensuring that the disease is wiped out of Benue.

She said that her mother was a victim of cervical cancer and promised to create more awareness among women to prevent them from dying of the disease.

She called on the Federal Government to encourage NGO’s to create awareness about the disease among rural dwellers.
Erdoo-Ortom said that the Benue government would provide a treatment centre where victims of the disease would access treatment free of charge.
She called on other state governments to open free treatment centres for victims of the disease. (NAN)

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