Cancer awareness remains collective responsibility — Bolanle Ambode
By Gabriel Olawale
Wife of the Governor of Lagos State, Her Excellency Mrs. Bolanle Ambode has admonished Nigerians to step up awareness and public enlightenment on cancer, says that the disease can be effectively prevented if some simple dietary and medical instructions are followed.
Bolanle who spoke at the 4th Omolara Jolaoso Memorial Lecture organised by Landers 88’ Reunion Club, said those diagnosed with the disease can also be managed to live normal, useful and pain-free life.
Bolanle Ambode
She reasoned that as a country, Nigerians need not dwell on the obvious; that too many lives have been cut down locally and globally by cancer, “what we must emphasize, is what can be done to save precious lives and prevent needless deaths in the cold hands of cancer. For too long, it has caused untold pain and anguish among the people but the happy news is that cancer is gradually being demystified.
Though a permanent cure may not have been found yet, we now have reliable clues on prevention and the condition can be effectively managed with strict adherence to medical instructions. What we are saying therefore, is that cancer is no more a death sentence, if people will strictly follow medical advice and treatment instructions’.
Corroborating her view, Medical Director, Alimosho General Hospital, Dr. Madewa Adebajo urged Nigerians to do away with some lifestyle that can predispose someone to cancer and do medical checkup regularly.
“Part of it is environmental factor, everybody is talking about global warming, it is getting hotter by the day meanwhile many people are destroying their skin with different creams which remove the protective part of their skin and we have a lot of people using generators. Other social habits such as smoking, alcoholism and the fact that we have embraced western lifestyle can predispose us to cancer. We are not even eating healthy any longer and when you have family history of cancer you need to check regularly”.
The President of Landers 88’ Reunion Club, Soji Adekogbe however called on government to wake up to their responsibilities to the citizens of Nigeria and declare a purpose-driven state of emergency in the healthcare sector.
“Sadly due to limited cancer treatment equipment in Nigeria, many die ever before it gets to their turn to get on the equipment, so government needs to integrate cancer control into our national development agenda”.
Source: www.vanguardngr.com
