By Kelvin Obambon
A non-governmental organization, Pink Africa Foundation, has disclosed that the survival rate for people who suffer from breast cancer in Nigeria is below 50 percent compare to 99 percent in developed countries.
The Executive Director of Pink Africa Foundation, Victor Ekpo, made the disclosure during the flag off of breast cancer awareness month in Calabar on Saturday 19th October, 2024.
Speaking about the breast cancer awareness tagged, ‘Calabar Go Pink Day’, Ekpo said that beyond Calabar “we are also doing Go Pink Days in African countries by Pink Africa Foundation, collaborating with multiple partners, medical institutions, hospitals, non-profit organizations; bringing together everyone to put a stop to breast cancer.”
He said the massive attention on breast cancer was justified by what he called high incidence of avoidable death, explaining that “in breast cancer the avoidable deaths are enormous. The survival rate for breast cancer in Nigeria is below 50 percent because the awareness is very low. Meanwhile in the developed countries it’s above 99 percent. When breast cancer cases are presented early women are able to live longer.
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“In Africa we are making a great effort to ensure there’s sufficient awareness, so that when once a woman sees a lump in her breast she should be able to know that there’s something off about it. In the past, due to lack of awareness people see a lump in their breast they stay at home and treat it as they can.”
Ekpo said that apart from the awareness there was also free screening of 1,000 men and women for breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostrate cancer, HIV, Hepatitis and as well as general medical screening.
“We have people on ground. Once you are being screened and anything is detected we refer you to the hospitals. We have discounts in different hospitals, and we also have free treatment for women that we see lumps in the breasts. We’ll give them free cancer treatment. We partner with different organizations, including Asi Ukpo Cancer Center to provide surgery and radiotherapy for free,” he said.
Cross River Commissioner for Women Affairs, Edema Irom, urged women in the state to take the issue of breast cancer serious by ensuring regular breast check. She commended Pink Africa Foundation for embarking on the awareness campaign, stating that the Ministry of Women Affairs would collaborate with the Medical Women Association to take the sensitization down to the rural areas.
President of Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN) Cross River State branch, Dr Minika Hagan-Okon, said the sensitization was not particularly for the women alone, as men are also susceptible to breast cancer. She declared that breast cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, because according to her, “early detection is key.”
Hagan-Okon identified self-esteem and traditional beliefs as some of the factors that prevent women from seeking early treatment for breast cancer. She cautioned against lifestyle that increases the risk of cancer such as smoking and excessive alcohol intake, while at the same time advised people to eat healthy foods that contain fresh vegetables and fruits.
Painting a gloomy picture of breast cancer cases in Cross River, the MWAN president emphasized the importance of regular screening. She disclosed that the association has ‘Well Woman Clinic’ at Ediba Primary Healthcare Centre that attends to women every second Wednesday of the month.
“Breast cancer case in the state is bad. On Wednesday we had our Well Woman Clinic. Out of 19 people we screened, 5 of them have breast lump. A lot of people hide it until it gets worse. By next year we will start publishing our data so that you know how serious it is.
“Breast and cervical cancers are the two most preventable cancers in Nigeria. Early detection saves life. We are calling on well-meaning individuals to come and sponsor us to go beyond Calabar metropolis – places like Ikom, Ogoja, Obanliku and those interior villages to screen because sometimes they have it, but they don’t know,” she said.
On his part, the executive director, Asi Ukpo Comprehensive Cancer Center, Yegwa Ukpo, said the center was poised to support awareness around cancer because of its prevalence.
“The situation is quite bad. Cancer is becoming a national emergency. Last time I checked they say we have about 288,000 cases of cancer in the country, and we don’t have enough centers. We are one of the few places people can come for treatment. We are trying to see how we can expand the service we offer,” he said.