From Obinna Odogwu, Awka

Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH) in Awka, Anambra State has said that it’s planning to commence yearly cancer screening for 1,000 women in the state.

Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Joe Akabuike, disclosed this at the grand finale of the first edition of 2021/2022 Anambra ‘Arm Our Youths Health Campaign Schools Challenge’ (AHCSC) staged to mark World Cancer Day in Awka.

Akabuike, a former Commissioner for Health in the state, said that the teaching hospital would be partnering with OCI Foundation, a non-governmental organisation.

World Cancer Day is an international day marked every February 4, to raise awareness on cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection and treatment. This year’s commemoration is themed ‘Close the Care Gap.’

The CMD said that all hands must be on deck to fight against the scourge of cancers, especially breast and cervical cancers which he said are killing many women daily.

‘The OCI Foundation’s anti-cancer health campaign in our schools is yielding very great results. Our students and a lot of residents are becoming very aware of what cancer is.

‘We need to put this knowledge to practice by adopting prevention, early detection, including early diagnosis and screening programs, to increase the chances of successful treatment and survival.

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‘We would like to partner with OCI foundation because the teaching hospital has doctors and equipment to carry out yearly screening for 1000 women in Anambra.

‘We need to fight cancer from all fronts. Together, let’s reduce the impact of cancer among our women,” he said.

Founder of OCI Foundation Dr Chris Ifediora said in his speech that the anti-cancer health campaign in public schools was created to save the lives of Nigerians.

Ifediora who was represented by Mrs Imelda Emeka, Domestic Liaison Officer, OCI Anambra, said the initiative also sought to include breast and cervical cancers preventive teachings into the academic curriculum of secondary schools in the country.

‘Anambra State schools have been the first to benefit and we are also making concerted efforts to involve other states.

‘We are currently working with the Nigerian Cancer Society (NCS), and other organisations to achieve this. We need to catch them young to reduce the burden of cancers,’ she said.

The Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. Charles Esimone, on his part, said that the institution would continue to partner with the foundation in the area of cancer research.