By Usman Ibn A. Lapai
Kaduna
Civil Society for Cancer Eradication in Nigeria (CiSCANEN) has stated at a three-day training for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on awareness to reduce the high prevalence of cancer that it “kills 68 people daily.”
Addressing participants, National Coordinator of the organisation, Mr. Elijah Elijah, said “Nigeria currently has the highest burden of cancer in Africa,” adding that “30 women die of breast cancer and 24 of cervical cancer daily, while 14 men also die of prostate cancer every day.”
Elijah said the training had become necessary following rising cases of deaths to cancer in the country.
He said: “This is just from a few popular cancers that we are familiar with, but the statistic is scary when you consider all other forms of cancer that continued to kill unabated. In fact, cancer has become the leading cause of death in the world; that awareness creation would go a long way in addressing the scourge.
“Cancer is caused mostly by what we eat, our lifestyle and the environment we lived in. People need to know what kind of lifestyle or habit predisposes them to cancer, and how to better prevent it. Also, people need to know that cancer is not a life sentence, that it can be treated if detected early.”
Also speaking, a cancer survivor, Mrs. Phoebe Yayi, said creating the needed awareness was crucial in winning the fight against cancer.
Yayi noted that cancer was not a death sentence, stressing that “it is curable, but only when discovered early.”
“I am standing with you here, today, as a breast cancer survivor because mine was detected early. A lot of cancer patients only discover they have cancer when it is too late to do anything,” she said.
She said there was the need for massive mobilisation of the people for regular cancer screening, on how to treat and prevent cancer.
“And more importantly, cancer patients need care, love and encouragement, because the first therapy is a positive attitude of the patient.”
