Mrs Hafsat Abubakar, wife of the Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, has pledged to provided free medical treatment to over 200 breast cancer patients through her NABALAGO Foundation.
Mrs Abubakar announced this during an awareness campaign and medical outreach held in Ningi Local Government Area of the State on Saturday, as part of events commemorating the 2024 World Cancer Day.
The event, themed “No One Should Face Cancer Alone,” marked the inaugural edition of the Ningi Breast Cancer Awareness Walk & Medical Outreach, focusing on health awareness, empowerment, and education for women in the area.
“Breast cancer remains the second most commonly diagnosed cancer globally and is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women,” Mrs Abubakar stated, quoting the World Health Organization’s statistic that breast cancer accounts for 22.7% of all cancer cases in Nigeria.
She emphasized that early detection through self-checks and medical screenings is crucial in reducing fatalities from breast cancer. “I pray and hope this event will promote greater awareness among our women,” she said.
She further expressed confidence that the initiative would help spread awareness across Bauchi through the involvement of the wives of House members.
The wife of the speaker also expressed hope that legislators might eventually advocate for a bill that would provide free mammograms for women aged 40 and above.
In her remarks, the wife of the State Governor, Hajiya Aishatu Bala, urged women to prioritize personal and environmental hygiene to help prevent diseases.
She also advised adopting a balanced diet to reduce the risk of cancer and other illnesses and emphasized the need for prompt medical care when symptoms arise.
The First Lady commended the wife of the Speaker for the initiative, saying this will go a long way towards cushion the difficulties in accessing the treatment by the patients of breast cancer.
The outreach event was supported by the National Obstetric Fistula Centre, Ningi. In his presentation the Head of with clinical services of the Centre, Ogbera Edward, said the arrangements had been made for those diagnosed during screening to receive further intervention and therapy, with funds reserved for mammography and other treatments.
The event also featured health talks, free medical consultations, basic medical examinations, treatments, and distribution of free drugs.