Founder of the Uplift Development Foundation and wife of former Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun, has raised fresh concerns over the alarming rate of breast and cervical cancer cases in Nigeria as she flagged off the 2025 edition of the Foundation’s Free Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Programme in Abeokuta on Tuesday.
Speaking at the Telemedicine Centre of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, Mrs. Amosun lamented the high cost of cancer treatment and the poor access to health facilities in low and middle-income communities, stressing that early detection remains the most effective prevention strategy.
“Cancer is not a death sentence. Several survivors have shown that if detected early, breast and cervical cancers can be treated successfully,” she declared.
Quoting World Health Organization (WHO) data, Mrs. Amosun revealed that over 19 million new cancer cases and nearly 10 million deaths are recorded globally every year, with breast cancer being the most diagnosed.
She added that while breast cancer accounts for 2.3 million new cases annually, cervical cancer kills over 300,000 women each year, most of them in low-income countries.
The situation in Nigeria, according to her, is even more alarming. In 2025 alone, the country is projected to record 32,000 new cases of breast cancer, placing it among the nations with the highest mortality rates.
For cervical cancer, Nigeria ranks 7th globally, with between 12,000 and 17,000 new cases yearly and about 8,000 deaths, translating to 22 Nigerian women dying every day.
“These sobering statistics highlight the importance of regular cancer screening and sustained awareness,” Amosun warned.
Since its inception in 2012, the Uplift Development Foundation has been at the forefront of cancer advocacy, awareness, and screening programmes in Ogun State. The initiative has benefitted over 10,000 patients across the state.
The Foundation has also established and equipped cancer care clinics in the three senatorial districts of the state: Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (Sagamu), General Hospital Ota, and General Hospital Ijaye in Abeokuta.
This year, Mrs. Amosun disclosed, financial support has been made available by her husband, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, for free lumpectomy surgeries for patients with suspicious lumps detected during the programme. Those with malignant lumps will undergo further histology and investigations.
“In previous editions, we have had to sponsor chemotherapy for urgent cases and, sadly, provide hospice care for others,” she added.
The former Ogun first lady emphasized that beyond free screening, the programme is designed to empower women through knowledge and personal responsibility for their health.
She urged women to undergo screening, perform monthly self-breast examinations after their menstrual cycles, and immediately seek medical advice if they notice lumps, pain, or unusual discharge.
“This programme is not just about free screening; it is about empowerment through knowledge and reawakening of responsibility for our health,” she said.
Mrs. Amosun expressed gratitude to medical partners including the FMC Abeokuta, the Ogun State chapter of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), medical doctors, nurses, and volunteers who have supported the programme over the years.
She expressed hope that the 2025 edition would mark “a new chapter in reducing the prevalence of breast and cervical cancer in Ogun State, Nigeria, and the world at large.”
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