By NAN

Dr Ramatu Aliyu, the State Minister for Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has commended the OCI Foundation for donating a screening centre for breast and cervical cancers.

The centre, sited at the Primary Health Care Centre in Apo Resettlement Community, has been equipped with a device called ‘Gynocular’.

Aliyu, while inaugurating the centre, on Wednesday, in Abuja, commended the foundation for the gesture.

“It is my pleasure to be here on this occasion to commission the Centre for the FCT OCI Foundation Gynocular digital cervical centre screening project.

“The design is meant to improve the well-being of women in the FCT, through cervical screening and management.

“I am aware that this project is a noble approach at actualising breast cancer and gynocular cervical cancer screening and management services, including referrals for the female residents of the FCT, particularly, under-served women.

“Let me register the robust advocacy by OCI Foundation for this project on the MoU-driven partnership with the FCT Primary Health Care Board for its sustainability.

“About 33 in every 100 women are diagnosed of cervical cancer, the second most frequent cancers among women between the age of 15 and 44 years, in Nigeria.

“It is estimated that every year, 12,075 are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 7,968 die from the disease which had a strong relationship largely with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). The HPV vaccination is not yet included in the vaccination routine.

“I want to commend the OCI Foundation and others who have put this in place. The ‘Gynocular Project’ would not be taken for granted.

“We appreciate this gesture, which will go a long way to reduce the rate of women that pass away from cervical cancer annually,” Aliyu said.

She prayed that the project would serve the purposes for which it was established and form the cornerstone for a greater and wider intervention in FCT’s women health challenges.

The minister urged private organisations to partner with the FCT Administration, adding that its doors are always open for organisations with lofty ideas that would better the lives of the people, because, according to her, government cannot do it alone.

Speaking, the Founder and President of the OCI Foundation, Prof. Chris Ifediora, said it was an initiative that was brought on board to change the cancer outcome and narrative in Nigeria.

“Cervical Cancer is a big killer in Nigeria and we are trying to see how screening of Cervical cancer can be accessible to Nigerian women. We intend to make it sustainable, wide-reaching and affordable.

“This is the first step. What we are doing here is to inaugurate a cervical digital screening centre that would allow Nigerian women to come and get services.

“This is the first of the two pilot centres we intend to establish in Nigeria, the second would be in Awka, in Anambra, And later to all parts of the country. We are working with partners. In Abuja, we are working with Primary Health facilities.

“We have provided the devices; we have a team of doctors that are ready to go. We also have the backing of the Nigerian Cancer Society, First Ladies Against Cancer, Sweet Home Foundation and we are ready to go,” Ifeodiora said.

According to him, the two  killers of women were breast and cervical cancers, so naturally we gravitate towards that, because, it kills thousand of Nigerian women every year.”

Ifeodira explained that this was the first of it kind, because, this was a project that would focus on millions of people at the same time, in every nooks and crannies of the country.

“The first step is to get our applications, because, everything is in that App; the cervibreast App. It is available on every smart phone and it is free of charge”.

Meanwhile, Dr Fatima Anda, the Director of the Gynocular Project, said the main cause of Cervical cancer was HPV, adding that some risk factors abound like having multiple sexual partners, drinking alcohol, smoking and having HIV.

“However, cervical cancer is preventable, and every woman, whether young or old, is advised to go for cervical cancer screening and get vaccinated.

“The Gynoscooe or device for the Gynocular Project is a small hand device that uses the latest technology to screen and diagnose cervical cancer. It is one of the best,”Anda said. (NAN)