As a way of reducing the spate of breast and cervical cancer in Nigeria, a non-governmental organization, Libertad Girl Foundation, has offered the womenfolk free PAP Smears and Mammogram examination as part of their inaugural packages in Rivers State.
The State representative of the foundation, Mrs. Happiness Aringa, said they are determined to kick out every pandemic that will reduce the womenfolk, noting that cancer is a common disease but better handled at its early stage when it is detected and treated accordingly, will prevent sudden death, adding that efforts are being made to reach out to rural areas.
Mrs. Aringa said their aim is to reach out to young girls and women that are affected by Fistula, adding that the foundation is also concerned about rape victims, child labour, trafficking in women, prostitution and female slavery to empower and provide hope and dignity to broken and abused women.
Speaking at the occasion, Dr. Stella Jerry-Chuku, said that the essence of undergoing intermittent medical check-ups was to reduce the prevalence of cancer and urged them to have self-examination of their breasts while taking bath.
According to her, some of the early symptoms of breast cancer are the change of the breast colour and its surrounding to red or sometimes the breast becoming rough like the back of an orange with uncontrolled pains and fever by the patient.
She said that if symptoms of breast cancer are detected early through self-examination and by other means, women will have a very good chance of a cancer-free future.
She noted that both breast and cervical cancer have become global challenges hence the need for women to see their doctors at least monthly.
Barr. Endurance Dan-Jumbo, on her part, spoke about early child marriage, child labour, human trafficking and women abuse.
She said that instead of moral support, proper upbringing, good education and respect for the girl child, thousands of female children are enslaved by parents or guardians as domestic workers or forced into early marriage to mitigate socio-economic challenges facing their families as against African Union Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, which promotes right to live and personal integrity.
She said poverty, high level of illiteracy, socio-cultural resistance and inadequate awareness have threatened efforts to address the challenges facing the girl child and women in Nigeria, noting that the rights of most female children and women in the country are far from respected and urged women to know how important they are in the society.
She said: “When you train a girl, you build a solid nation because the world revolves around women”.
She called on government to improve access to education and eliminate gender gaps in education in some part of the country, adding that it was also important to institute effective rehabilitation, recovery and legal services for victims of rape, child labour and human trafficking.
