Mrs. Zulum Mobilizes Against Cancer
Mrs. Zulum calls for awareness campaign, collaboration to fight against cancer
By Sadiq Abubakar
The Wife of the Borno state Governor, Dr Falmata Umara Zulum has called for more mobilization, collaboration and awareness campaigns on the fight against breast cancer in the state and country at large.
Mrs. Falmata Zulum made the call while inaugurating the 2020 Breast Awareness Campaign at the Multipurpose Hall of the Government House in Maiduguri. She informed that thte campaign is part of her pet project, Multi-Aid and Charity Initiative, (MAC Initiative), a Non Government Organisation which aims at creating awareness on cancer to rural women in the state.
She said,”The aim of our gathering here today, bearing in mind this year’s theme is to give hope and save Lives” is a reminder that we all are in this together to protect the most vulnerable by educating and encouraging them to go for cancer screening using Mammography.
The governor’s wife said “this campaign had for a long time been a catalyst in many countries to increase resources for research and treatment giving many women and their families renewed hope and a new lease of life,”
She however decried that there was limited access to early detection, diagnosis and treatment of this deadly disease, which is important in curbing the spread of the disease. She regrets that “Women in most part of the country are likely to be diagnosed only at late stage of breast cancer where the disease had spread to other organs”.
Mrs Zulum further appealed to all to inculcate and imbibed the culture of regular medical checkup so that emerging problems are detected and treated early.
The First Lady also encouraged other well-meaning individuals to support patients diagnosed with cancer in the society.
Speaking earlier, the Borno State Commissioner for Health, Dr Salihu Kwaya Bura, represented by his Permanent Secretary, Dr Muhammed Guluze, said that 500,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer annually and that the state government will work with international and local NGOs in promoting early cancer detection and treatment .
He said,”It is in line with this that the government introduced a lot of services in our various healthcare institutions to ensure early detection and treatment.
“We have the screening facilities in the State Specialist Hospital and Maryam Abacha Hospital and other Primary Health Care Hospitals across the state”.
He called on women to always take the issues of their health seriously.
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