The wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, has selected 200 women from various local governments in the state to undergo free mammograms and breast scans.
The free scanning was announced on Wednesday during an awareness programme in commemoration of the 2024 Breast Cancer Awareness Day, themed “No One Should Face Breast Cancer Alone” at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti.
Speaking at the event, Dr Oyebanji advised women to make early breast cancer screening a top priority to avoid full-blown cancer.
According to the First Lady, 150 women from 18 to 40 years would benefit from free breast scans, while another set of 50 women from 40 years and above would benefit from mammogram examinations.
She called for more aggressive awareness in the state for every woman to benefit from the breast scans and examinations, which she said have been heavily subsidised by the state government for easy accessibility, irrespective of social status.
To this end, Dr Oyebanji called on all religious leaders, market women, and female political leaders to champion the cause and intensify the cancer awareness campaign.
Speaking further, the first lady commended her husband, Gov. Biodun Oyebanji for his various interventions in the health sector and for providing the mammogram machine at the Adunni Olayinka Women Diagnostic and Wellness Centre for women in the state.
A resource person at the event, Dr Julius Olaogun, an Associate Professor of General Surgery at the Department of Surgery, EKSUTH, stated that the breast cancer awareness campaign was vital, pointing out that the need for aggressive sensitisation has become more necessary than ever before.
He encouraged healthy habits such as eating a balanced diet, regular exercise, abstaining from smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption, among others.
By following all these rules, the expert argued that cancer risk can significantly be reduced to the bearest minimum.
“Cancer is not a death sentence; early detection is very key and it’s preventable. Every woman should hence examine her breast at least once a month,” he said.
Also, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Oyebanji Filani, disclosed that women from neighbouring states have been taking advantage of the mammogram machine service in the teaching hospital, She urged Ekiti women not to be left behind from benefiting from the gesture.
He noted that all women were eligible for early screening and prevention and called for an extension of the campaign across the state to enlighten the people.
Two breast cancer survivors, Mrs Oluwafunmilayo Bello and Mrs Titilayo Oluwadare, narrated how early detection saved their lives and called on women to prioritise their health by ensuring that they visit health facilities for breast examination and diagnosis regularly.
Breast cancer: Ekiti First Lady offers free breast scan for 200 women
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