As the world commemorates World Cancer Day which is the second leading cause of death globally, Engraced Life Foundation in collaboration with Rumuokuta Old Girls Association (ROGA), Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Rivers State Chapter, among others, have advocated for early detection of breast cancer which they claim saves lives. The event tagged ‘ELF World Cancer Day Pink Room’ was endorsed by the Rivers State Ministry of Health.
World Cancer Day, 2022 was dubbed ‘Close The Care Gap,’ and the event which held at GGSS, Rumuokuta last Friday, in Port Harcourt, featured a symposium on breast care and breast health for young girls, 200 free braziers/sanitary pad distribution and free breast screening for teachers, as part of activities to ensure a cancer free society.
Speaking with The Tide Correspondent, the Founder and Team Leader of Engraced Life Foundation, a stage four breast cancer survivor, Ada Ethel Olomu, stated that the foundation was birthed out of compassion and the painful breast cancer experience she went through and having survived cancer by the grace of God, decided to help women, become aware and guard against the scourge, called cancer that almost claimed her life years ago.
Olomu explained that Engraced Life Foundation decided to embark on the campaign to Government Girls Secondary School, Rumuokuta, to promote Breast Self Awareness (BSA) at an early age; a proactive sensitization that would significantly reduce the malignancies of breast cancer in our community.
She revealed that the nationwide breast cancer awareness and free screening campaigns the foundation has been embarking on since 2021 to date, loas to create the necessary awareness which NAWOJ is already helping them to achieve; for women and girls to get the right information on how to perform monthly breast examination and inculcate the habit as well as know their health status, thereby reducing the mortality rate of breast cancer in the society significantly.
The Foundation as well as NAWOJ appealed to critical stakeholders, well meaning individuals to financially support the enormous tasks the foundation is saddled with, especially in achieving their set goals to screen 10,000 women this year as well as sponsor 25 women suffering from breast cancer to get treated.
In her statement, Olomu said: “Last year October, we screened over 5000 women during the Rivers State Breast Cancer Awareness and Free Screening campaign organised by the foundation in eight different locations. We visited communities in Obio Akpor Local Government Area, Borokiri, Okrika, Isiokpo amongst others. Earlier, we were in Nnewi, Kirikiri Female Correctional Facility, Gbagada and Yenagoa. The rampaging breast decay and level of ignorance we witnessed during these campaigns is our motivation for planning to reach out to more women this year’’.
According to her, our goal is to provide free breast cancer screening for 10,000 women, as well as provide treatment support for at least 25 women and champion awareness to reach over two million persons through the help of our media partners and online platforms. We provide a supportive community to help breast cancer patients during treatment and after.
‘‘The cost of treatments and crusading against breath cancer runs into millions; we cannot fight this alone. Cancer is no respecter of persons or status; to win, we plead with everyone to do their part to ‘Close the Care Gap’ as headlined by this year’s World Cancer Day theme. We count on well meaning individuals, private sectors and the government for their financial assistance,” she said.
The founder, Engraced Life Foundation sincerely thanked NAWOJ and other volunteers for their unflinching support, expressing hope that together they would be able to achieve set goals to have a cancer free society in the soonest.
Olomu urged all women and young girls to ensure they go to the hospital should they notice any abnormality in their breast for early check, as breast cancer risk increases with age, adding that women must ensure to always go for regular breast screening for early detection of cancer if any before it leads to death. She encouraged women who are screened of breast cancer not to be afraid of chemotherapy, and maintained that breast cancer is not a death sentence.
On her part, the Chairperson, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Rivers State Chapter, Susan Serekara-Nwikhana, stated that all NAWOJ wants to see is a society, a Rivers State free of cancer, hence their reason to partner with Engraced Life Foundation to make the dream and vision a reality.
Serekara-Nwikhana added that NAWOJ Rivers State which has the sole responsibility of amplifying the voice of the suffering masses as well as help the vulnerable women and girls in the society, would as well embark on aggressive sensitisation campaign and awareness to every nooks and cranny of the state so as to achieve a cancer free state.
She, however, appealed to relevant authorities, well meaning individuals to help those living with breast cancer by building free Chemotherapy centres across the country, to enable cancer patients get free access to treatment,  same way those living with HIV/AIDs have access to free treatment.
“What NAWOJ Rivers State wants to see in collaborating with Engraced Life Foundation on this war against cancer to GGSS, Rumuokwuta is to see Rivers State and country at large become a Rivers State and country Cancer free’’, she noted.
Serekara-Nwikhana said that the aim of the awareness was to have a cancer-free society in the state and the country at large, adding that with the new drive and partnership with the Rivers State Ministry of Health, Engraced life Foundation, women in the state would be more aware of what to do to be free from breast cancer disease.
She emphasised that it was a good thing to visit the school at this point in time when the cancer disease is rampaging more women and girls in our society, so as to catch them young, noting that if they become aware and are able to teach one another, the society will be cancer free.
A Medical Doctor working with the Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr. Sandra Abolo, participating in the event as one of the four panelists for the ELF World Cancer Day Pink Room symposium, stated that breast cancer is one of the second commonest cause of mortality, but early detection of it could be prevented and treated.
“This is why we advocate on a day like the world cancer day that people should go and get screened for cancer, because breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer are preventable, it can be tackled early if people go to hospital,” she said.
Abolo mentioned some of the risks factors of cancer as unhealthy diets, sedentary lifestyle without exercise, obesity, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
The Principal of the Senior Secondary School, (GGSS) Rumokwuta, Mrs Sylvaline Ogwuzuo, commended the organisers for their wide sensitisation programme, and called on the students and teenage girls to learn the routine check of breast self awareness examination and inform their parents when they notice any abnormality on their breasts.
Other speakers included Social Media Influencer/UNICEF Certified Sexual and Reproductive Health Master Trainer, Mrs Ella Umeh-Ezeailieje, A Nurse, Blessing Dum-Mene, and lecturer, Rivers State University, Boma Omubo Pepple.
Highlights of the event was the distribution of Bra to the students as well as Free Breast Screening for female teachers and guests.

By: Susan Serekara-Nwikhana