Nigerians, especially the younger ones have been urged to be aware of rising cancer cases in the country and to know and apply preventive and management measures of the disease.
The Assistant Director Programme, Africa Global Empowerment and Development Network (AGED-Network), Joy Ezekiel, gave the charge at a sensitization workshop commemorating this year’s World Cancer Day at the Sheikh Abubakar Gunmi Academy, Abuja.
The event was organised by AGED-Network in partnership with the Nigerian Red Cross Society, FCT Branch, and Mendlife Global Foundation, with the theme “I Am and I Will” which educated over 200 students on cancer diagnosis and prevention.
Ezekiel said that the programme was part of effort to reduce the rise of cancer in Nigeria and the world of the deadly disease.
She said that with a proper sensitization and enlightenment on the risk involved in the deadly disease, the world might live a cancer-free life.
She urged the federal government to create and establish cancer screening centres to make treatment easier for cancer patients.
“So, we came to Gunmi school to sensitize the students on cancer, everybody has to be enlightened on cancer and how it affects our health. They said knowledge is key, and health is wealth, if you are not aware of something you cannot beware. If we sensitize the general public on the causes of cancer, I think it can be avoided. And we can all live cancer free.
“My message to Nigerians is that cancer is real, and it can be avoided, it can be prevented, you can live a cancer free life. It will be good if the government could come out and create cancer screening centres.
In the whole of Nigerian we don’t have cancer screening centres. Let us take that step so that other countries can also emulate and to make it easier for those who are already diagnosed,” she said.
