Radio Nigeria (FRCN) News: (OCI) Foundation seeks more awareness on cancer

By: Sandy, Radio Nigeria (FRCN) News

Original Source: Radio Nigeria (FRCN) News

June 5, 2021

An International Non-Governmental organization, OCI Foundation is collaborating with the Nigeria Cancer Society to reduce the impact of cancer in Nigeria.

The collaboration was aimed is to introduce anti-breast and anti-cervical cancer teachings into the curriculum of all senior secondary schools in Nigeria.

The decision was reached after a virtual meeting and Award ceremony, organized by the Nigerian Medical Students Association, NIMSA, and sponsored by Professor Chris Ifediora, the President of the OCI Foundation.

The President of the Nigeria Cancer Society, NCS, Dr. Adamu Al-hassan attended the event where First Ladies Against Cancer (FLAC) was addressing cancer related issues in Nigeria.

Dr. Adamu described the Arm Our Youths Health campaign Initiative which focuses on prevention and educative drive as very timely and said components were the bed rock strategy employed at the NCS in line with the dictum of “Prevention is better than cure”.

Responding, the President of the OCI Foundation, Professor Chris Ifediora said that the partnership (NCS-FLAC-OCI Foundation) will expedite the roll-out of the Arm Our Youths (ArOY) Health Campaign across all the senior secondary schools in all the states, and that this will be a big win for the anti-cancer fight in Nigeria.

He said, already, the OCI Foundation has the ideas, technology, and plans to get this partnership to a glittering start.

Professor Ifediora explained that the Foundation was already in touch with a number of the First Ladies, some of which are active members of FLAC. He made particular reference to the first ladies of Niger, Benue, Kebbi, Ondo and Nasarrawa states stressing that the awareness of the ArOY Health Campaign, will make a formalization of this 3-way partnership easy.

According to the Professor, “our associations with the Federal Ministries of Health and Women Affairs, as well as the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the NYSC, will leverage to ensure that the partnership yields the huge and sustained dividends it has the potentials for”.

He said that a virtual meeting is being worked out where all the first ladies involved, can participate in. “This way, we will make sure that all the partners are on the same page, and get as many states as possible will buy into the project, and be ready for a roll-out by the end of this year, as is currently planned with Niger and Benue states, as well as with the NYSC”.

The Arm Our Youths Health campaign commenced in 2019, and aims to cover all the states of Nigeria by 2025.