THISDAY

Duke Tasks FG on Tackling Breast Cancer

- Ugo Aliogo

The Chairman, Child Survival and Developmen­t Organisati­on of Nigeria (CSDON), Onari Duke, has called federal government to strengthen capacity in the treatment of breast cancer through the provision of centrifuge machines and other facilities in Hospitals and health facilities across the country.

Duke, who disclosed this weekend in Lagos during a walk to raise awareness for cancer, noted that the event was aimed at uniting various corporate organisati­ons, public and private sector and NonGovernm­ental Organisati­ons (NGOs) while reinforcin­g the fact that there is need for all to work towards finding the cure for the disease and them.

She also stated that the event has provided CSDON the opportunit­y to ascertain the level of support and efforts organisati­ons are putting place in the fight against the disease such as providing care, providing supports for the caregivers of those living with cancer, those conducting counsellin­g programmes for them, and those footing the bill of patients living with cancer.

Duke further explained that this is the ninth year of organising the initiative, stating that they have realised that there were a lot of things they didn’t do at the beginning, but she said with committed effort, “We will be able to learn from each other.

Then reinforce and strengthen what each is doing.”

She remarked that huge successes have been recorded in the past nine years, stressing that when they started the initiative the disease was seen as a dreaded disease, but the narrative has changed judging from the views of people who participat­ed in their free mammogram diagnosis test.

“They have realised that early detection increases their chances of survival, therefore it has helped them to embrace the required test, though some still delay in their mastectomy tests,” she noted.

Duke maintained that they have done much awareness especially in the areas treatment and early detection of the diseases which she said has been highly beneficial to women.

“Recently, we lost one

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