ACEPHAP Commemorates World Cancer Day
The Africa Centre of Excellence for Population Health and Policy (ACEPHAP) in collaboration with Save a Life Cancer Awareness and Support Network, Medical Women's' Association of Nigeria (Kano State Chapter), Community Health and Research Initiative and Aminu Magashi Garba Foundation came together to celebrate this year's World Cancer Day in grand style. Highlights of the event were an Awareness Walk in support of closing the cancer care gap. The annual walk took off at 9:00 am from Lodge Road through Audu Bako Road, Alu Avenue and back to Lodge Road. There were some aerobic exercises. About 150 people participated in the walk including members of the Nigerian Army Officers' Wives Association (NAOWA) among others.
The event heralding the celebration of the World Cancer Day started with a speech delivered by Hajiya Hauwa Adamu Kakudi who is the Founder of Save a Life Cancer Awareness and Support Network who spoke on the importance of creating awareness on the world cancer day. According to her, this year's World Cancer Day's theme, 'Close the Care Gap' is all about celebrating progress in its many forms that enable Cancer Awareness Walk to Commemorate World Cancer Day more people to seek and receive the care they need and deserve.
Good will messages were presented by the Director ACEPHAP, Professor Hadiza Galadanci and founding member of Medical Women Association of Nigeria, Kano State Chapter.
As part of the activities marking the world cancer day, an outreach was organized on the 4th of February, 2023 at Bukavo Military Barracks, Kano. The aim of the outreach was to create awareness on breast and cervical cancer to wives of the military officers and to give them free breast and cervical cancer screening. In addition, there was talk on healthy living which was capable of helping to protect women against developing cancer cells.
In her address, Mrs. Ade Bimpe Are spoke on the importance of creating awareness on breast and cervical cancer to women in general. She spoke of how women suffer from this disease daily due to lack of knowledge of the importance of early detection and also the high cost of treating the disease at a late stage. She expressed her profound gratitude to the organizers of the event.
Delivering the lecture, Dr. Maryam Nasir of Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano shed more lights on early signs, symptoms and risk factors of breast. She emphasized that women should go to the hospital immediately they notice changes in the breast rather than seek alternative interventions which often fail. On cervical cancer, Dr. Aisha Sai'du stated that it can be detected through screening and is preventable through vaccination. She also told the women to watch out for signs and symptoms of cervical cancer, adding that seeking medical intervention early can save lives.
The importance of healthy living to prevent cancers was explained by Dr. Rahila Mkhtar. She explained that engaging in exercise, eating fruits, vegetables, getting enough sleep and drinking a lot of water is a way of keeping a healthy life.
During the occasion breast and cervical cancer screening was carried out at Bukavo Barracks. A total of 170 women were screened for breast cancers and out of which 12 were referred for further screening. 85 women were screened for cervical cancers out of which 32 were referred for further screening.
