BluePrint News: NCS, OCI (Foundation) to collaborate on cancer care, eradication

By: Ene Oshoba, Blue Print News, Nigeria

Original Source: Blue Print News, Nigeria

June 5, 2021

Nigerian Cancer Society (NCS) has concluded plans to collaborate with the Onyebuchi Chris Ifediora (OCI) Foundation, an International Non Governmental Organization (NGO) to advance the course of cancer care with the aim of reducing it’s impact in Nigeria.

The collaboration is in the area of Arm Our Youths (ArOY) a Health campaign which commenced since 2019, aiming to introduce anti-breast and anti-cervical cancer teachings into the curriculum of all senior secondary schools in Nigeria.

This 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.

President of the Nigeria Cancer Society, NCS, Dr. Adamu Al-hassan, during the meeting noted the importance of the First Ladies Against Cancer (FLAC), describing the group as a veritable partner in addressing cancer related issues in Nigeria.

He assured of reaching out to FLAC to ensure the success of the health campaign, adding that the NCS remained open to discuss the details of the programme and other similar programmes that will follow which will ultimately translate to benefits for our teeming population.

Dr. Adamu further  described the ArOY Initiative which focuses on prevention and educative drive as very timely and well intentioned, explaining that the 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 of the Nigerian Federation, saying this will be a big win for the anti-cancer fight in Nigeria.

“Already, the OCI Foundation has the ideas, technology, and plans to get this partnership to a glittering start, and we will be bringing all of these into this partnership,” he said.

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 all be leveraged to ensure that this 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 that 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”.