BluePrint News: (OCI) Foundation begins nationwide anti-breast cancer campaign

(OCI) Foundation begins nationwide anti-breast cancer campaign

By: Ene Oshaba, BluePrint NEWS, Nigeria

Original Source: Click HERE.

July 19, 2020

The Onyebuchi Chris Ifediora (OCI) Foundation, a Nigerian-Australian international NGO, Arm our Youths (ArOY) Health Campaign said it is set for a nationwide anti-breast and anti-cervical cancer teachings into the regular curriculum of all Nigerian senior secondary schools once the schools reopen, stating that it recently received a huge international boost as a number of the world’s powerful institutions and universities indicated support for the novel, life-saving initiative.

A statement signed at the weekend by the Canadian-based Founder of NextGenU.org (the world’ first free online University) Professor Erica Frank, stated that, the American Centres for Disease Control (American CDC), along with NextGenU.org and the Universities of British Columbia and Saskatchewan (all in Canada), declared support for the OCI Foundation’s nationwide roll out of the ArOY Campaign across Nigeria, as well as the research component of the initiative.

The ArOY Campaign is an innovative and evidence-based health promotion program that was conceived by the OCI Foundation, and designed to introduce anti-breast and anti-cervical cancer teachings into the regular curriculum of all Nigerian senior secondary schools, using measures that are sustainable, cost-effective, all-encompassing, and culturally-acceptable.

According to the statement, the initiative already has the endorsements of experts from the Harvard Medical School (USA), the WHO Nigeria, and the Griffith University (Australia).

The statement added that the partnership includes support from the extraordinary team assembled by Dr. Ifediora (Founder of the OCI Foundation) and Mutwiri (University of Saskatchewan), as well as the U.S. CDC, with which NextGenU.org has an extensive collaboration, where they have been developing and disseminating cervical cancer prevention education.

“It is with the strongest possible endorsement in my capacity as UBC Professor and Canada Research Chair in Preventive Medicine and Population Health, and as the Founder/Inventor of NextGenU.org that I write in support of the Onyebuchi Chris Ifediora (OCI Foundation)”, writes Prof Frank.

Concluding, she said “We are keen to further develop and study the effects of these resources and expertise in partnership with the OCI Foundation, and believe these initiatives to be essential and novel, with the potential to create significant impacts in the lives of young people and their communities globally”.

The OCI aims to introduce the Campaign across all the senior secondary schools in Nigeria, between now and 2025.

 It has already successfully done so across all the 261 eligible schools in Anambra State, and are in advanced talks to do the same in Benue State and with the NYSC, before the COVID-19 lockdown took effect across the world.

A number of other reputable Nigerian institutions partnering the OCI Foundation on this initiative include the Innoson Group, the NYSC (National Office), the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs (Nigeria), Nollywood Nigeria, the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, the Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS), Silk Road Restaurant (Abuja), and the Post Primary Schools Service Commission, PPSSC (Anambra State), among others.

The OCI Foundation is in a nationwide consultation with major stakeholders in Health, Education and other institutions across Nigeria, in efforts to expand its partners, ahead of a massive launch of the ArOY Campaign as soon as the COVID-19 lockdowns are eased.