First Ladies Charge Women on Cancer Prevention
By Oluseyi Olarinde
As the 2023 cancer awareness month rounds off, First Ladies Against Cancer Initiatives of Nigeria, FLAC, has donated 10 million naira to cancer patients at the University College Hospital Ibadan.
Clad in white and pink t-shirt with inscriptions such as “awareness against cancer and saving lives together; members of the organization reiterated the need to collectively fight cancer in Nigeria, Africa and the world at large.
The programme was to raise awareness on cancer disease and rendering support to cancer patients across Nigeria.
In her speech, wife of Oyo State Governor, Engineer Mrs. Tamunominini Makinde emphasized the need for teenage girls to avail themselves the opportunities of the ongoing human papilloma, HPV, virus vaccination nationwide.
Engineer Mrs Makinde said self examination was paramount to ones health.
Also speaking, wife of the immediate past governor of Kebbi State and chairperson FLAC, Dr Zainab Bagudu who presented a cheque of 10 million naira to UCH on behalf of FLAC, commended governments, non governmental organizations and civil societies groups for playing a major role at reducing cancer to the barest minimum, through campaigns and advocacies.
She called on women to make use of technology to know more about the disease.
Chief medical director, UCH, Professor Jesse Otegbayo, who promised to hand over the money to the cancer patients, advised the society to always go for cancer screening and present any abnormal growth in the body to the hospital.
Professor Otegbayo explained that there were some viruses that could cause cancer ,noting that some of the viruses were vaccine preventable.
Highlights of the programme was the visit to the cancer wards.
Present at the programme were wives of the former governors of Oyo, Ogun and Ekiti State, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, Erelu Bisi Fayemi and Mrs Olufunso Amosun
On the entourage of the wife of Oyo State Governor was the head of service of the state, Mrs Olubunmi Oni, commissioner for health, Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, Commissioner For Special Duties, Mrs Fausat Ajoke Sanni, Commissioner For Women Affairs And Social Inclusion, Mrs Toyin Balogun.
