FG STAKEHOLDERS TASK ON CANCER - Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu
Federal government and Lawmakers at the National Assemblies have been tasked on the formulation of enabling Laws that would focus on cancer diagnosis, treatment and awareness in the country with a view to checking the mortality rate of cancer patients across the country.
Speaking on this development, in Akure, the Ondo State capital, the wife of Ondo State Governor, Arabinrin Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu at press conference organised by a Non-Governmental Organization, Coalition Against Cancer, Ondo State, comprising eleven different organizations that have a bias for cancer.
While addressing Journaliststs at the NUJ Press Centre, Alagbaka, Akure, to herald this year World Cancer Day coming up on February 4, 2020, expressed disappointment in the way government, public office holders and general public were handling cancer and related issues.
Mrs. Akeredolu, alleged religious leaders of undermining the cancer awareness initiative, saying they (religious leaders) brain watched their congregants that cancer is a spiritual ailment and could only be treated spiritually,and this has sent thousands of cancer patients to their untimely death.
She, however, called on women and men to always do self-breast check every morning and go to the hospital for Clinical Breast Check(CBE) if they discovered anything strange about their breast.
Mrs. Akeredolu, who has been a survivor of cancer for 23 years, emphasized the need for government at all levels and philanthropists to see how cancer could be reduced in the country, rather than been perceived as terminal death disease.
The founder of Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN) disclosed that efforts are ongoing to ensure enabling policies are put in place in Ondo State to check cancer patient mortality rate through the establishment of screening centres across the 18 local government areas of the state.
She, however, vowed that the coalition would keep pushing on, saying “we will not quit until cancer case fatality drops to zero.”
In his remarks, the chairman of the Coalition, Dr. Katong Abba said cancer is the second-highest killer disease in the world, which said necessitated the coming together of the groups that formed the coalition.
He expressed hope that the concerted efforts of all the groups would make a tremendous impact in fighting cancer in the state and Nigeria as a whole.
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