By Chioma Obinna

Worried about the rising cases of cervical cancer among Nigerian women, Executive Director of the Sebeccly Cancer Care and Support Centre, Dr. Omolola Salako has enjoined Nigerian women to embrace regular cervical screening to ensure prompt treatment of the life threatening condition.

Salako made the call during a free cervical cancer screening for over 300 female employees of the Lagos State Public Service, in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, WAPA, with support from the America Cancer Society recently in Lagos.

She expressed worry that Nigerian women were dropping dead on a daily basis due to late presentation at the various centres when little or nothing could be done to reverse the condition.

Salako explained that if women take advantage of routine screening, most of the cervical cancers could be detected early and prompt treatment could reverse them and even save the lives of affected women.

“We are here in partnership with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviations to screen more than 300 women in Ikeja community. “The theme of the campaign is “1K Cervix,” she said. Salako said the essence of this grant is to promote cervical cancer awareness and screening as well as research.

“In terms of screening, it is an opportunity to screen 1000 women at no cost and follow them up if there are abnormalities,” she added.

Speaking, the Commissioner for WAPA, Mrs.  Lola Akande said the Programme which was organised for female employees in the Lagos State Public Service is in line with the mandate of WAPA, which is concerned with total development of all women groups in the state. “This screening is purposely to screen women for signs and symptoms of cervical cancer before it manifests in the system,” Mrs. Akande noted.

Akande said the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation would extend the screening to other groups of women in the nearest future and called on all female civil servants to avail themselves of medical screening facilities at their doorstep.

On his part, a Consultant Obstetrics and Gynaecologist, Dr. Kehinde Okunade, noted that although, the knowledge of cervical cancer was extremely low among the beneficiaries,  after the lectures which usually precede the screening it increases the level of awareness among the women.