By Ugo Aliogo
In commemoration of the World Breast Awareness month in October, Vezeeta, has revealed that it would be offering free breast cancer scans, free mammograms and subsidized cancer treatment for women during the month.
In a statement made available to THISDAY, the Vice President for Africa, Nana Frimpong, said the initiative is intended to help increase awareness about breast cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in Nigeria, “and provide critical intervention for patients and survivors of the disease.”
He said breast cancer is a global scourge that adversely affects the lives of many women and those around them, often with terminal outcomes.
Frimpong remarked that statistics show that it is the most common type of cancer affecting women, adding that the second most common type of cancer overall, hence the need for a collaborative approach to mitigating the impact of the disease.
Continuing, he said: “Vezeeta is committed to ensuring that Nigerians have the resource and support they need to live their best lives. We also know that when detected early, breast cancer is easier to treat successfully and the five-year survival rate rapidly declines as the disease progresses. This is why we are partnering with key stakeholder groups to drive awareness about the disease all through the Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We will also be offering subsidized treatment for a breast cancer survivor, free breast scans and free mammograms in designated centers across Lagos.
“Additionally, we realize that beyond the medical condition, breast cancer presents other complications to the wellbeing of survivors their caregivers, households, survivors and society at large. We are therefore launching a socially inclusive campaign that will give the public opportunity to nominate the cancer survivor whose treatment will be subsidized. It is our hope that these efforts, among others, will open up the space for frank discussions about the disease including topics such as stigma, insecurity and the sense of loss that patients and survivors typically contend with.”
