No fewer than 100,000 Nigerians have been directly screened and treated so far by the National Cancer Prevention Programme (NCPP).

Dr. Abia Nzelu, the Executive Secretary, CECP-Nigeria, made the disclosure in a statement issued ahead of the Oct. 1 free cancer screening programme in Lagos.

According to her, through the awareness created, the NCPP is helping to protect millions of Nigerians from cancer.

She said: “This monumental effort has contributed immensely to the reduction of cervical cancer deaths in Nigeria from 26 daily in 2008 to 22 daily in 2012 (WHO data).

“In line with the International Cancer Awareness Month (ICAM), the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP-Nigeria) in partnership with the National Cancer Prevention Programme (NCPP) will hold free cancer screening in Lagos on Oct.1.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ICAM is an annual international campaign against the cancer pandemic, especially breast cancer, the most common cancer among women globally.

Nzelu said that the symbolic colour for the month of October is pink.

She said: “The colour pink is not only used in relation to breast cancer, but also refers to health in general, hence, the phrase ‘in the pink of health.”

‘ICAM is a reminder for societies to take an active role in ensuring that their citizens remain in excellent health (the pink of health).

“It is also to encourage them to go for regular health screening, and supporting initiatives aimed at improving the health of society at large.

“This is particularly important in Nigeria which has the 12th lowest life expectancy in the world.

“Most Nigerians do not live to retire, to see their grandchildren, or to enjoy the fruits of their labour.”

Nzelu said that cancer was a major cause of untimely death in Nigeria.

“It is, therefore, important for us to celebrate the elderly amongst us and to join in the effort to establish a system of health promotion and disease prevention through the use of Mobile Cancer Centres (MCC).”

Nzelu said that this would enable more Nigerians to attain the elderly milestone.

“The target beneficiaries of this exercise that will include free wellness conference, health education and wellness advocacy are women aged 18 years and above and men 40 years and above.”

She said that the programme would hold at the NAN Media Centre, National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

“This free cancer screening is a foretaste of the more extensive community-based, mass cancer screening that will take place following the acquisition of the Mobile Cancer Centres (MCC).

“This is the goal of the ‘Big War Against Cancer in Nigeria,’ the flagship focal cause of CECP.

“The ‘Big War Against Cancer’ is aimed at ‘Taking holistic healthcare to the Grassroots’ using Mobile Cancer Centres (MCC) and Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCC).

“The first phase involves raising funds to acquire/deploy 37 MCC, one for each state and Abuja.

“An MCC is much more than a Mobile Mammogram. Rather, it is a clinic on wheels in which screening, follow-up and treatment (including surgeries) can take place.

“It includes facilities for mammography, sonology, colonoscopy, colposcopy and cryotherapy as well as a surgical theatre.”

She said that it was also equipped with facilities for screening against most common diseases, including the 10 major cancer-related killer diseases.

“These are diabetes, renal disease, obesity, malaria, schistosomiasis, helicobacter pylori, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, Human Papillomavirus and hypertension.” (NAN)

Update news