The First Lady of Kebbi State, Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, has advocated cancer awareness campaign among children in their early years as one of the effective ways of fighting the cancer scourge.
She said such early awareness would help them form lifestyles that would protect them from falling easy prey to the illness.
She stated this when she took her cancer awareness campaign to the Early Years for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), an initiative of the Maple Leaf Early Years Centre, Abuja, as part of events to mark the World Cancer Day 2020.
“Normally, Nigerians don’t have enough information about cancer early enough, most times until late into their adult lives when they may have formed lifestyles that predispose them to cancer.
“So, the idea is to catch them young, to expose this little ones to basic information about cancer. These children now know what cancer is. They now know that the types of cancer out there like skin cancer, blood cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, and the rest. Importantly, they now know they could protect themselves from cancer by reducing their sugar intake, eating fruits, having enough sleep, exercising regularly, and taking vaccine for some types of cancer.
“In fact, that was why we were all jumping up and down, exercising, and sweating, teaching the children in practical terms, how to live a healthy life free from cancer. We also guided them in expressing their knowledge of cancer through painting. They painted several types fruit”, she said.
The First Lady, who is the founder of MedicAid Cancer Foundation, therefore enjoined early years education planners and institutions to help catch them young.
Meanwhile, the co-founder of the Early Years for IDP Initiative, Abuja, Mr. Ndubuisi Nwigwe, said the initiative was inspired by the need to give children displaced by insurgency and banditry in the country as well as give them quality early childhood education.
