Ondo activates 5O facilities for clinical breast examination

• Trains 67 health workers to create awareness

The Ondo State Ministry of Health has activated 50 facilities for clinical breast examination while also training 67 health workers in the 18 Local Government Areas in the state towards creating awareness on breast cancer in the state.

This, according to the ministry, is to help in early detection of breast cancer and also to strengthen breast examination in the primary and secondary health facilities to reduce the scourge of breast cancer in Ondo state.

The Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Ministry of Health, Dr Adeniran Ikuomola noted that breast cancer is fast becoming a public health concern as about 14,000 women die annually as a result of breast cancer also emphasising the alarming rate women in Ondo state are coming down with cancer at the terminal stage.

He said:  “breast cancer is treatable when detected early but when it is at the terminal stage, it takes the grace of God.

“Breast self examination is the easiest way for early detection and we urge women in our state to learn it and teach every woman around them.”

Dr Ikuomola hinted that in a bid to create awareness and to entrench clinical breast examination into the services of the primary and secondary facilities in the state, the Ministry is training 67 health workers in 50 health facilities in the eighteen Local Government Areas of the state.

He charged the participants to create awareness about breast cancer in their various facilities and also step down the training to all women that they come in contact with in their respective facilities.

“Every woman you come across must be taught to examine their breast. The government is interested in the health of every woman in the state.

“Talk about breast cancer in your antenatal and family planning, immunization meeting.

“Bring women together in churches, Social circles, mosques and in your home. It will help in increasing the knowledge in the state among our women” you are our change agent in all the health facilities and local government areas in the state.

“Be determined to save the lives of other women around you”, he advised.

The representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), Mr Adewale Moses lauded the effort of the government saying it would complement their cervical cancer screening where many cervical cancer cases at different stages were detected, treated and referred as the case might be.

The resource person for the capacity building, Dr (Mrs) Ndidi Okunnuga of the University of Medical Science Teaching Hospital, noted that breast cancer is a major scourge among women in Nigeria as the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that about 250,000 cases of breast cancer are seen every year in Nigeria and about 10,000 people die annually as a result of cancer.

She explained further that Nigeria has the highest cases of death from breast cancer in Africa and there are increasing incidences among Nigerian women.

She lauded the effort of the Ondo State Ministry of health in training health workers, saying it would boost the knowledge and awareness among health workers in the state and also help in early detection of the disease.

Dr Okunnuga urged the participants to passionately step down the training to every woman they come across saying it is the cheapest means of early detection.

The Director Public Health, Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Stephen Fagbemi said a referral booklet had been provided to track new cases of breast cancer for immediate medical help.