FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association, NAOWA, yesterday carried out a roadshow to create awareness about breast cancer.
Wife of the Commander, 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Mrs Akon Oduyebo led the officers wives on the roadshow in Benin City.
They kicked off the road walk from the brigade headquarters through Airport Road to Ring Road.
The women also went through Sapele Road to Igbinedion Way before stopping at the brigade headquarters.
The association distributed leaflets about the deadly disease to passersby, motorists and shop owners along the route.
The roadshow was followed by a lecture, where Mrs Oduyebo, who is the Zonal Coordinator of 4 Brigade chapter of the association, said breast cancer affects thousands of Nigerian women annually, devastating families and communities.
She noted, however, that early detection and proper care could save lives.
The NAOWA coordinator pledged the dedication of the chapter to raise awareness about breast and cervical cancers, expressing support for research and medical care on the diseases.
She commended the World Health Organisation, WHO, for its partnership, as the event also featured free breast and cervical cancer screening.
Declaring the lecture open, the Commander of 4 Brigade, Brigadier-General Ebenezer Oduyebo said notwithstanding the daunting statistics about cases of breast cancer, there is emerging hope with medical advancements in screening, diagnosis and treatment.
“Early detection through methods like mammography and self-examinations play a critical role in improving survival rates.
“The five-year survival rate for localised breast cancer is now around 99 percent, thanks to these breakthroughs.”
He called for continued global efforts to make breast cancer care more accessible to women in low-resource settings, particularly developing countries like Nigeria.
