The Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), in partnership with the North East Development Commission (NEDC), has launched an awareness campaign on breast and cervical cancer in rural communities in Bauchi State.

President of MWAN, Bauchi State Chapter, and a Consultant Gynaecologist at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Dr. Umma-Hani Jaafaru, during a sensitisation campaign flag-off in Bauchi, explained that the exercise was aimed at creating awareness among residents about breast and cervical cancers.

She said, “Both breast cancer and cervical cancer are preventable and curable; once they’re detected early, they can be treated. However, if detected late, treatment becomes a problem,” she said.

She further stated, “We are in Dungal village to sensitise both men and women on the rising cases of cancer among women. The information will also be shared with girls to help them recognise the signs and symptoms early. That is why we are using local dialects to ensure everyone understands the message.”

Earlier in her remarks, Chairperson of the Nigeria Cancer Society, Bauchi State Chapter, Dr Habiba Ismail, emphasised the importance of early presentation of signs and symptoms at health facilities for prompt response and action to cure the disease.

Zainab listed some of the signs of breast cancer, including lumps in the breast, skin changes around the breast, bloody discharge coming out from the nipples and having an ulcer that is not healing around the breast. She charged the women to conduct regular self-breast examinations at home as part of efforts to reduce late detection of breast cancer.

She urged women and girls to present any abnormalities around the “breast and cervix to health workers at the facilities. Don’t do self-medication, don’t shy away, but always consult a doctor.”

“Most of the patients presented with breast or cervical cancer come to the hospital with advanced diseases, for which the only help you can give them is palliative, just to improve the quality of their life and not be able to cure the disease. We are sensitising them so that they are aware of the disease and know its early presentation so that once they witness it, they can come to the hospital. If they are going to be diagnosed, it will be at an early stage so that they can be cured,” Zainab said.

She continued, “On cervical cancer, you hardly see a sign in early stages, but it presents with irregular menstruation or they have pescuital bleeding anytime after intercourse, they witness bleeding without pain. They will be aware of these signs and present to the hospital, where it can be cured.

“Secondly, the immunisation against cervical cancer is available because HPV virus is responsible for many cancers, including cervical cancer and if our children and adolescent girls are immunised against these viruses in the future, they will be free from cervical cancer. We actually want to eliminate cervical cancer by giving them immunisation,” Zainab added.

Also speaking, Sulaiman Ibrahim, an Official of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), said that the commission would continue to support health interventions across the sub-region.

Ibrahim added that the commission is currently carrying out various construction projects, including health facilities and the provision of medical equipment for vulnerable persons in Bauchi and across the North-Eastern states.

Responding, the village head of Dungal, Malam Abdullahi Adamu, thanked MWAN and their sponsors, NEDC, for selecting his community for the awareness campaign aimed at tackling the spread of cancer in Bauchi and the country as a whole.