Unilorin student raises awareness on cancers

A female student of the University of Ilorin, ImamLawal Ummulkhaeri, has organised a seminar to raise public awareness on breast and cervical cancers.

Rally and awareness shows were carried out from the main campus of the university, to the Oke-Oyi campus of the College of Health Sciences before the seminar.

Ummulkhaeri, who was the vice president (main campus) of the Students’ Union Government, University of Ilorin and a 400-level student of History and International Studies, said breast and cervical cancers awareness campaign was particularly meant for women as the major victims of the killer diseases. She said the exercise was to further sensitise the general public on the risks associated with the virus.

She attributed the major and growing challenges facing the womenfolk on healthrelated matter to lack of good health education, absence of awareness and proper sensitisation exercise.

She said, “Having discovered the prevailing incidence and mortality rate of these scourge and the unimaginable level of ignorance and nonchalance exhibited by students about cancers, one can conclude that there is need for immediate intervention and sensitisation by staging an encompassing campaign of this nature.”

She said a free screening exercise would be given to participants, adding that the burden of cancer in Nigeria is unknown, mainly because of lack of statistics and underreporting of inadequate diagnostic facilities, limited access to health care and inadequate technical manpower.

Odeyemi Unilorin.

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