A health expert, Dr. Chris Ifediora, has decried the prevalence of breast and cervical cancers among young teenage girls in the country.
He said Nigeria was still lagging behind in the provision of free screening to prevent and detect the disease.
Speaking during a symposium on Breast Self-Examination for over 432 female secondary school students in Otuocha, Anambra State, Ifediora said the situation was more worrisome as majority of those diagonised of cancers lacked financial capability to undertake proper medical care.
“For those who are lucky to survive these deadly cancers, the heavy financial costs of undergoing the required treatments, as well as the inevitable physical and psychological complications associated with them make the prospect of facing such illness unpalatable.
“However, with the right knowledge, the right attitude and the right practices, the risks of breast and cervical cancers can be minimised,” he said.
Ifediora, founder of the Onyebuchi Chris Ifediora (OCI) Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, explained that the choice of secondary school students for the symposium was to make them adopt lifestyles needed to limit the occurrence of breast and cervical cancers.
