NGO Sensitizes Over 500 Rural Women On Breast Cancer

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By: Mayen Etim

 

KADUNA, North-West, Nigeria – A group under the auspice of Arridah Relief Foundation of Nigeria, (ARFON), has said that women in hamlets settlement were worse hit by breast cancer due to lack of awareness.

Founder of the NGO, Rabi Salisu, disclosed when the group took the campaign on breast cancer to women in hamlets settlement of Gadar-Gayan-Panshanu, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna state, at the weekend.

According to her, while medical experts, state Ministries of Women Affairs, civil societies, health reporters and many Cancer-NGOs remained in cities to organize conferences, workshops, amongst others to raise awareness, ARFON, decided to take it campaign to women in hamlets settlement.

Hajiya Salisu, said, there were millions of women in hamlets settlement that lack information about breast cancer, yet no one care to trickle down campaigns to these hamlets.

A section of participants at the campaign.

She added that Breast Cancer Awareness Month is marked in many countries across the world every October.

“We are going to use the remaining days of October targeting thousands of poor women in hamlets settlement to sensitize them on cancer.

“This will help to arrest attention and support for the awareness, early detection and treatment as well as palliative care of the disease.

“Breast cancer is common in women worldwide, both in the developed and developing countries leading to many deaths every year. It is the second silent killer of women but there is poor awareness among women in hamlets settlement.

“In low and middle income countries the incidence has been rising steadily in the last years due to increased in life expectancy, urbanization and adoption of western lifestyles and so many factors that are affecting women.

“We must change the style of the campaign by trickling it down to women in their hamlets. We need to sensitize the women about signs, symptoms and preventive measures.

Participants, including children paying rapt attention to Founder of ARFON, Rabi Salisu, address.

“Time for conferences and workshops, without impacting lives of the people is over, let us join hands together, to educate more women about cancer,” she said.

One of the residents, Malama Maimunatu, disclosed that for the fast 3 years, she has been battling with breast cancer problem, and has been applying traditional medicine for cure due to lack of awareness.

She said it was the first time in the history of her hamlets; an NGO would visit to raise awareness on cancer.

Similarly, Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani, National President/Foundation Protection of Women and Children in Nigeria, said there is need to embark on a house-to-house cancer campaign to educate women living in hamlets, villages, and communities across northern Nigeria.

Founder of ARFON, Rabi Salisu, in a group photograph with participants and others.

While urging pregnant women to discontinue the habit of smoking, using second hand undies like, braziers and pants, she informed that her organization is planning to take campaigns to hamlets, villages and communities to educate women about kinds of infections such as sexually transmitted diseases.

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