No fewer than 53,762 women have been screened so far for cervical and breast cancers by the Lagos State government in a free programme it commenced last year.
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Olusegun Ogboye disclosed this during a capacity building workshop, organised recently by the State in collaboration with United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA for 200 state healthcare worker drawn from 60 health facilities in the State
The Permanent Secretary who was represented by the Head of Directorate, Disease Control, Lagos State, Dr. Agbolagorite Olurotimi said: “In January 2021, the Lagos State Government with the support of Clinton Health Access Initiative, CHAI commenced the provision of free breast and cervical cancer screening services in 60 State health facilities.
“Currently, the Ministry’s efforts to make cancer screening services more accessible and readily available in all State health facilities, has been further strengthened with the recent support from one of the State’s development partners, UNFPA.
“A total of 53,762 women have been screened since inception out of which a total of 2,635 representing 4.9 percent of women screened were screened positive for cervical precancerous lesions and 2,348 (89 percent) of these positively screened women were treated with thermal ablation and saved from possibly developing cervical cancer in the future.
“Furthermore, a total of 99 women representing 0.2 percent of the total women screened were referred with suspicious lesions and possible early stages of cancer, for prompt diagnosis and early treatment which would result in an improved management outcome.
“The World Health Organization’s 2018 country profile states that about 30 percent of all deaths in Nigeria is attributed to non communicable diseases, NCDs with cancers being responsible for a considerable portion of this. Those at risk of being part of these statistics in Lagos State can be discovered early during screening services in State health facilities, after which, these beneficiaries would be managed accordingly with referral and linkage to follow up care.”
According to him, that also informed one of the reasons for the ongoing empowerment.
Also speaking, Cancer Control Coordinator for Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Abosede Wellington, challenged all women to go to the nearest facility near them and avail themselves the opportunity free screening services in Lagos state
She said: “We are training 200 health care workers across these 60 health facilities to build their capacity to be able to provide the fee health care services in a professional manner, using the best skills, equipments and the commodities that the state has made available
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