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Tag Screening

General news

Ogun govt., USAID flag  off  tuberculosis initiative

NAN-HG-9
Screening
By Temitope Salami
Ijebu-Ode (Ogun), Jan. 24, 2018 (NAN) The Ogun Government in conjunction with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has flagged-off a free tuberculosis screening programme in Ijebu-Ode.

The programme,  which commenced on Wednesday at Itantebo area in Ijebu-Ode,  was also launched simultaneously  across nine other local governments  across the state.

The programme tagged,  ‘Wellness on Wheels’, is part of the state government’s efforts at  providing affordable healthcare for people at the grassroots and ending the scourge of tuberculosis.

Speaking at the flag-off, the Chairman of Ijebu-Ode Local Government Council, Mr Gbolade Oduwole,  urged the people to take advantage of the programme in ascertaining  their TB status and getting free treatment.

“Affordable healthcare delivery is one of Senator Ibikunle Amosun led-administration cardinal programmes aimed at bringing succour to the people.

“This is another step where the impact of the government will be felt by the people. All you need to do is come for test and x-ray which is free,” he said.

Oduwole, who  urged residents of  Ijebu-Ode to always take cognisance of their health issues, gave an assurance that  continuous health education on the importance of check-up  would be provided.

Also speaking, Mrs Tinuke Otufowora, the Tuberculosis Control Officer for Ijebu-Ode Local Government Council, said the mobile screening programme was a welcome initiative.

She said the exercise would be on a rolling basis and had  been structured to accommodate everyone in  the state.

“We are going to five communities in the first phase of the programme in the next two weeks where Itantebo is the starting point.

“We have sensitised the people in the area to come out for test; that is  anybody that is coughing persistently  which we classify in TB treatment as the presumptive stage.

“If they have been coughing for two weeks or more. They have to come for test even if you are not coughing;  you can come for testing,” Otufowora said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other local government areas benefiting from the programme include  Ado Odo-Ota, Ifo, Abeokuta South and  Abeokuta North.

Others are Yewa North, Yewa South, Sagamu and Obafemi Owode Local Governments.(NAN)
TDS/OJO
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(Edited by Mufutau Ojo)

Health

NGO offers free breast, cervical cancer screening in Minna ‎

NGO offers free breast, cervical cancer screening in Minna ‎
NAN-H-‎19
Screening‎
By Mercy Osajiugo‎
Minna, Oct. 28, 2017 (NAN) Raise‎ Foundation, an NGO, says it provided free cervical and breast cancer screening to 617 females at the Kure Ultra Modern Market in  Minna, Niger.

The Cen‎tre Manager of the foundation, Ms Maureen Chawa, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Minna.‎

Chawa said that the number of women that turned up for the three-day screening was encouraging.‎

‎“We screened 381 females for breast cancer, 16 had lumps in their breast while all the 236 screened for cervical cancer had a negative result of Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA),” she said.‎

Chawa said that the turnout was relatively impressive but that she expected more women to take advantage of the free exercise.

“I was expecting a good turnout ‎because it was a free exercise, but the reverse was the case as many of them were busy in selling and buying‎ in the market.

“In spite of the fact that the exercise was brought down to the Primary Healthcare Centre in the market place they remained busy with their trade,” she said.

She explained that the beneficiaries that came for the screening were in the age range of 16 to 70 years.

‎Chawa advised women to pay more attention to their health before any other thing.

“I had expected that all the women traders who spend all their time in the market would have taken advantage of the exercise and avail themselves that free exercise.‎”

She explained that it was only when one has a good health that all opportunities can be maximally explored‎, adding that early detection of the ailment saves life and brings the situation under control.

Hajia Hadiza Yusuf, a Matron with the foundation, called on women from puberty to adulthood to take advantage of breast cancer screening.‎

“Cervical testing should not be undermined as‎ early detection will help nip cancer in the bud.

“It is safer, cheaper if it is dictated early but if it is already advanced we cannot treat it here,” she said‎.

She said that those that had lumps would be booked for surgery by the foundation.

She however referred those that could not be screened to locate them at their centre in Minna for the screening.‎‎‎ ‎

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise was the pet project of the Wife of Niger governor, ‎Dr Amina Bello. (NAN)
MNO‎/JPE/MST
Edited by Joseph Edeh/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

08034895018

Health

Marriage: Association advocates HIV/AIDS screening

Marriage: Association advocates HIV/AIDS screening
NAN-HG-10
Screening
By Abdullahi Shugaba
Dutse, Oct. 27, 2017 (NAN) Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammad, the Chairman, People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Jigawa, has advised intending couples to go for HIV/AIDS screening before marriage.
Muhammad gave the advice while speaking with newsmen in Dutse on Friday.
He commended the Jigawa House of Assembly for passing a law making it compulsory for a man and woman to go for screening before marriage.
The chairman said that the measure taken by government was to reduce the prevalence of the disease in the state.
Muhammad said that their association was creating awareness to the people of the state in public places, including markets and motor parks, on how they can avoid contact with HIV/AIDs.
He added that they were also using the media in the campaign against the spread of HIV/AIDs in the state.
The chairman advised members of the public to go for screening with a view to knowing their status because HIV/AIDs don’t show on the face.
Also speaking, the Public Relations Officer of the association in the state, Hajiya Basira Yahaya, said that they have been encouraging women to go for antenatal through to enable them know their status.
Basira also advised women to avoid using knives that cut other women especially during festivities or occasions at the processes of cutting onions, tomatoes or meat without sterilisation. (NAN)
AIS/COO/MST
Edited by Cecilia Odey/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

KOSG pleads for 3 more weeks to conclude staff screening

NAN–H–39

Screening

Lokoja, March 29, 2017 (NAN) The Kogi State Government has pleaded for three additional weeks to conclude the staff screening exercise started in February, 2016.

The Deputy Governor, Mr Simon Achuba, made the plea on Wednesday in Lokoja, during a meeting with the leaderships of the state chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress.

“The verification exercise has dragged because we felt we must do a good job; we shall finish everything within the three weeks, if the request is granted,” Achuba said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that government had promised to publish its report on the screening exercise before March 28., but failed to do that.

Achuba, while apologising for that failure, promised that the extension would be the last.

“The three weeks extension is necessary to allow the committee to come out with a comprehensive report that will be free from avoidable mistakes.

“It is better to allow more time for a better job, especially since this verification exercise is meant to correct the wrongs that have been around for a very long time,” he said.

Achuba promised that the report would be published on April 24, and commended the workers for their patience.

He told the workers that their patience would be rewarded with abundant fruits.

He also thanked the labour leaders for ensuring peace in spite of the hardships faced by workers and pensioners, as a result of the exercise.

Also speaking, the Acting Head of Service, Mrs. Kehinde Lawal, appealed to the workers to accept the request for extension, so as to ensure that a thorough job was done.

The NLC Chairman, Mr Onu Edoka, accepted the request for the extension, but urged government to be consistent and keep to the April 24 deadline for the submission of the report.

“If government fails to meet up the new date, labour will take appropriate action,” Adoka warned. (NAN)
KKA/ETS

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Edited by Ephraims Sheyin

Health

Expert advocates establishment of more cancer screening centres

NAN-HG-1

Cancer

By Maureen Ojinaka-Nwanosike

Enugu, Feb. 20, 2017(NAN) Prof. Chioma Okoye, a Lecturer at College of Medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu has advocated the establishment of more cancer screening centres nationwide for adequate cancer treatment.

Okoye made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Monday.

She said that there was urgent need for the availability of more radiotherapy units in the country.

The professor noted that out of 12 radiotherapy units in Nigeria, only one at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital,Zaria was functioning.

She also called on government and other healthcare service providers to pay attention to the provision of adequate radiotherapy units to meet the need of the cancer patients.

“We, the healthcare providers, are calling on the government, that as a matter of urgency provide enough radiotherapy facilities for the treatment of cancer in the country.

“Nigeria by all standards, in terms of healthcare, should be having over 300 radiotherapy units across the country,” she said.

The lecturer urged people to live positive lifestyle, eat good food such as fruits and vegetables and observe balance diet to live healthy life and prevent diseases.

Okoye advised smokers to stop the habit, noting that smoking was very dangerous to public health causing cancer of the lungs in young and old people.(NAN)

OJI/DUA
Edited by Dada Ahmed

Health

Doctor recommends regular screening of girls for cancer

Doctor recommends regular screening of girls for cancer

NAN-HG-10

Screening

By Olasunkanmi Onifade

Abuja, Feb. 3, 2017(NAN) Dr Fred Achem, a gynaecologist with the Feropod Hospitals, Abuja, has recommended regular screening of girls between ages nine and 16 to detect early signs of cancer.

Achem gave the suggestion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, ahead of the World Cancer Day scheduled for Feb. 4.

He said that screening of young girls between these ages would help to detect early signs of cancer cells which could be dangerous.

“There is the need to do all we can to vaccinate young girls who are not yet in their reproductive age, so that they develop antibodies to the effect of this virus.

“The idea is that for those who are not that lucky, it is a good practice to have a pap smear done every two years.”

Achem said that there were some cells in the bodies that would detect if cancer cells would come in later on, adding that this can be done mainly through a blood test.

“There are pre-cancerous states in the body that can be detected by blood checks before cancer sets in; these changes could indicate what part of the body would become cancerous later on.

“An example is the alpha-fetoprotein tests, if elevated, shows the risk of cancer of the liver.

“There are other proteins in the system which thus indicates that specific cancers can arise later on, hence the need for regular tests and screenings,” he said.

Achem said that the advantage of screening and blood tests would help to build immunity against all forms of cancers in the body.

He said the tests could also be seen in the blood contents when screened, and things like ovarian cancers could be treated early, stating that benign ovarian cancers, if treated early, could be removed.

“A lot of ovarian tumors are benign and not malignant.

“When they are removed, they are sent to the pathologist for confirmation, so, the earlier the better.”

The physician said that in girls who were found to be negative after the Pap smear, it is advised that the girls repeat the smear after two years.

Achem said that in older women, malignant cancer cells had been found to be uncontrollable in growth, hence the need to have them removed before larger problems set in.

“What the Pap smear does is to stain the vaginal cells, so as to study its appearance.

“When they appear normal, then, the Pap smear is negative; if not, if it is positive, it means that there are traces of cancer in the linings of the vaginal”.

The doctor said that parents should have the culture of creating awareness among their wards and children, stating that early screening for cancer is the key to surviving all forms of cancers. (NAN)

OEO/FLP/MST

Edited by Folorunso Poroye/Muhammad Suleiman Tola