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Harmful traditional practices, beliefs worsen breast cancer scourge

By Tobi Awodipe
16 December 2017   |   3:47 am
Widespread harmful traditional practices and beliefs have been identified as the main factors that encourage the spread and worsening cases of breast cancer in the country.

Widespread harmful traditional practices and beliefs have been identified as the main factors that encourage the spread and worsening cases of breast cancer in the country.

According to Dr. Philomena Bivese-Djebah, Founder of Joyful Tears Initiative, some of these include sufferers belief that enemies sent ‘evil arrow’ to them, scraping and marking the affected area with sharp instruments, such as blades and knife, visiting ‘chemists’ and herbal doctors who put all kinds of concoctions on the affected area and visiting churches and prayer centres for prayers and deliverance, which he described as a waste of time and efforts.

While urging women to examine themselves monthly, Bivese-Djebah noted that the disease affects three in 10 women and is becoming very rampant, decrying the scanty attention paid to the disease in the country.

The organisation held an awareness programme for women in Lagos, tagged, ‘Unveil Your Emotion,’ featuring doctors and motivational speakers, who advised and shared experiences and stories with the women present regarding what to eat to promote a healthy lifestyle, how to check the breasts and what to do in case of any changes.
Bivese-Djebah urged women to invest in themselves and embrace regular clinical examinations, as this usually makes the difference in beating the disease.

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