AUSTRALIA-BASED NGO TAKES CANCER CAMPAIGN TO ANAMBRA SCHOOLS
Published October 4, 2017 (Punch Newspaper)
By: Tony Okafor, Awka, Nigeria.
Original Source: Click HERE.
AN Australian-based non-governmental organisation, Onyebuchi Chris Ifediora Foundation, has taken campaigns on breast and cervical cancer to secondary schools in Anambra State.
OCIF said the health awareness campaign was to ensure that young women were tutored on the danger of the scourge early in life.
The one-day health symposium on breast and cervical cancer was held for female senior secondary school students at Stella Maris Girls’ College, Umueri, Anambra East Local Government Area of the state.
The President and Founder of the foundation, Dr. Chris Ifediora, said the objective of the campaign was to create a society where everyone would be empowered to take control of their health, irrespective of their financial, social, cultural, religious and educational disposition.
Represented by Onyechi Ononye, a lawyer, Ifediora said the prevention of breast and cervical cancers among young women was the first of the many steps in actualising her dream of knocking down barriers to the attainment of good and affordable health for all.
He noted that while the foundation might not have the financial or political power to create or implement major health policies that would affect millions of Nigerians, it had the commitment and skills to empower the people in the way that they could take control of their health.
This, he observed, could be achieved by changing the individual knowledge, attitude and practices towards some key health issues such as breast and cervical cancers.
He stressed that the risks of breast and cervical cancers could be minimised by early detection of the symptoms and by empowering the young women in their teens.
He said, “They can spread the message further to their parents, female family members and others in the society.”
Ifediora said the programme would be limited to the three local government areas in Otuocha zone of Anambra State, namely, Anambra East, Anambra West and Anyamelum, adding that the project would be extended to other parts.
Speaking, the wife of the State Governor, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano, represented by the Executive Secretary, Anambra State Primary Health Care Services, Dr. Chioma Ezenyimulu, described the project as a good initiative.
Obiano said though cancer had no cure, it could be prevented through early detection, adding that the state government had renovated 63 primary health care centres in the 21 local government areas of the state to boost healthcare in the state.
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