The Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association (NAOWA), has raised an awareness, and advocate for quality healthcare access to reduce the Scourge of Cancer in Nigeria.
NAOWA led by its President Mrs. Mariya Lagbaja made the call today at the World Cancer Day Awareness Summit held at the Army Headquarters Command Officers Mess Abuja, with the theme: “Reducing the Scourge of Cancer in Nigeria” which is aimed at enlightening NAOWA members, military personnel as well as members of the public on prevention, early detection, and treatment of cancer.
The World Cancer Day Awareness Summit featured lectures on cancer prevention, management and treatment, question and answer segments and testimonies from cancer survivors.
According to the NAOWA president, this year's World Cancer Day presents an important opportunity to raise awarenes and elaborate further the message of prevention, early detection, and treatment of cancer.
"The theme for this year, "Closing the Care Gap" speaks to the fact that we are to deepen our efforts in putting in place necessary infrastructure to address these health challenges towards better care for cancer patients and survivors.
Mrs Lagbaja said world cancer day is an opportunity to rally the global community in raising awareness and to advocate for bridge in quality healthcare.
She highlighted the gaps in healthcare to include limited access to quality healthcare facilities, financial restrictions faced by patients and the limited awareness regarding the disease.
“This lack of awareness she stressed has prevented many people from seeking early diagnosis and prompt treatment. This call to action is a testament to the devastating global effect of cancer and the need to bridge the gap in cancer management in order to prevent further death and disability.
“The submit was organised to raise awareness and to contribute to the efforts of other international and local organisations, these efforts are aimed at ensuring that everyone regardless background and financial status is equipped with the necessary knowledge on early diagnosis of cancer,” she said.
Also in his remarks, the Special Guest of Honour, the Chief of Administration (Army), Major General Jimmy Akpor said, in line with the Chief of Army Staff’s command philosophy to transform the Nigerian Army into a Well-trained, equipped and highly motivated force towards achieving constitutional responsibilities, within a joint environment, the Nigerian Army will continue to support personnel and their families, to treat those with different cancers, promote positive behaviours aimed at preventing and controlling cancer.”
He call on the importance of regular screening and early detection which he said are key to the management of cancer. He said raising awareness in the barracks community about cancer and its preventions will assist in treating anyone concern.
He urged all personal including NAOWA members to undertake regular preventive screening among other preventive measures as highlighted by speakers at the event. He noted that the Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association President and her members have been engaging in periodic Excercises which have been helping in preventing cancer and the overall wellbeing of members of the association.
“The most common kinds of caners are preventable, detectable, controllable and curable through screening and vaccination, however because of late presentation often due to ignorance, self medication, Socio-ethnic factors, religious beliefs and refusal to accept cancer diagnosis, the prognosis remain poor,” Major General Jimmy Akpor said.
In their presentations respectively, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Cancer Society, Dr Adamu Umar, and Dr. Uchechukwu Emmanuel, Dr Nini Shagaya stressed lack of awareness prevents many people from seeking early diagnosis and prompt treatment hence the need for the summit as part of NAOWA’s Corporate Social Responsibility, to raise awareness, and contribute to the efforts of other International and Local Organizations.
Dr Adamu Umar said NAOWA having advantage of wide reach, can take the awareness farther as he advocated for cancer screening centres across all formations of the Nigerian Army.
A Lecture delivered by titled “Reducing the scourge of cancer in Nigeria” defined Cancer as a group of numerous diseases that can affect any part of the body with risk factors including physical and chemical. Professor Abubakar Bello also delivered a lecture on ways to identify and detect various kinds of cancer.
Highlight of the summit were lectures from erudite resource persons on Cancer prevention, management and treatment followed by a question-and-answer session including testimonies from Cancer survivors, amongst others.
Dignitries at the World Cancer Day Awareness Summit were the wife of Minister of Defence, Hajiya Magajiya Badaru, President DEPOWA President, Mrs Oghogho Gwabin Musa, Representatives of the NOWA President, representative NAOWA President, representative of POWA President, representative of COWA amongs others.
