BY BUKOLA BARDI
One hundred women including journalists have benefited from a free health programme organised by the Ondo state council of the Nigeria Association Of women Journalists, NAWOJ.
The programme which provided opportunity for the women to be screened for cervical and breast cancer at no cost was done in Collaboration with two non- profit organisations namely the 100k club and Quintas health.
In an interview, leader of the medical team and co-founder of 100k club, Dr Olawale Ogunlana said the best way to prevent cancer was through regular check up, urging women to go for cervical screening at least once in a year while breasts should be screened on a regular basis as cancer could be treated if detected early.
“We’re doing this with NAWOJ because of the huge responsibility on women journalists, many times they do not have time to go to the hospital to check their health status so we decided to bring this screening to them. But beyond that, we have also felt the need to empower women and let them know the truth about breast/cervical cancers because they are one of the leading causes of death among women globally. When women know their status then they can prevent and also defeat cancer, early detection is one sure way of defeating cancer” Ogunlana said.
Another partner in the programme and leader of the technical crew, Dr Babatunde Adewumi advised women to take care of their health by eating right, avoid junks and engage in regular exercise to prevent cancer saying breast and cervical cancer remained the leading causes of death among women worldwide.
Adewumi posits “Women should not be scared to undergo screening for breast and cervical cancer, they should be more scared about the disease itself than the screening because when we screen women, we discover what we call a premalignant legion and we treat it and they won’t have it anymore. So, why are you scared of what can save you rather than what can finish you? When women treat breast cancer early, they live longer”
Also Speaking, Representative of the Friends of Wale Akinterinwa, a group that supported NAWOJ on the project, Barr. Tunde Ogundare said they decided to assist Ondo NAWOJ on the health programme because of the role women play in the society and considering the nature of the profession of the women journalists.
The Chairperson of NAWOJ in Ondo state, Mrs Tola Gbadamosi while appreciating all the partners involved in the health programme said the screening was organised to enable women in the state especially journalists to know their status as regards cancer which has accounted for many deaths among both old and young.
“It’s all about woman’s health, every NAWOJIAN should be healthy to do the work committed into their hands. As journalists we talk about health issues but we don’t have time to check our health status, so, that necessitated this screening as I saw it that we needed to look after our own health” Gbadamosi submitted.
Some of the beneficiaries, Mrs Dupe Isename, Fatimah Muraina and Omolola Akinbo thanked NAWOJ and other partners for bringing the exercise to them as they were always busy with work schedules.