The African First Ladies have united their efforts to expedite the prevention and treatment of cancer, with a particular emphasis on advancing early detection and treatment methods.
This concerted effort was highlighted on Thursday, May 16, at the 3rd Regional Seminar on Cancer Awareness in Abuja, which was organized by Oluremi Tinubu, the first lady of Nigeria.
First Ladies from Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states attended the seminar, which aimed to exchange knowledge and mobilize resources to combat cancer, especially cervical and breast cancer in women.
First Lady Tinubu stressed the need to change the alarming statistics of cancer prevalence in Nigeria, which have seen 127,763 new cases and 79,542 deaths in the last year alone, in a statement released by her spokesperson, Busola Kukoyi.
The First Lady gave a speech at the seminar and stated that although President Bola Tinubu has focused entirely on the diagnosis and treatment side of cancer care, she will spearhead the advocacy to support cutting-edge methods of early detection and prevention.
With an emphasis on decreasing late presentations and enhancing treatment outcomes, she reaffirmed her dedication to supporting cutting-edge methods of cancer prevention and early detection.
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“My major interest is to reduce the prevalence of late presentation in order to improve treatment outcomes. Reports from various cancer registries in the country which have been corroborated by Globocan Data reports showed that there were 127,763 new cancer cases and 79,542 deaths within the year and also, the prevalent cases of cancer over a period of 5 years in the country, stood at 269,109.
“Globocan shows that cervical cancer is the second commonest cancer among women in Nigeria. Fortunately, it is preventable and curable when detected early. This has led to my stand in championing preventive measures and early detection approach to all preventable and curable cancers in Nigeria”, she said.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, stressed in his speech the importance of passing a National Cancer Act.
He claimed that he is certain that a more favorable result would result from the First Ladies spearheading the advocacy.
Africans should encourage healthy eating habits and make use of their abundant medical resources, according to First Lady of Turkey Emine Erdogan, who expressed concern about the cumulative impact of cancer on the continent.
First Ladies from OIC African member states, such as Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, presented situation reports on cancer management in their respective nations and underlined the importance of forming alliances and increasing public awareness of the deadly disease.
Following the technical session on Wednesday of the seminar, the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, read the Abuja Declaration, which included resolutions pertaining to enhanced funding, increased advocacy, and improved collaboration among member states. The other First Ladies signed the document.
