"Don't Die In Ignorance" - C'River PHC DG Tells Women To Check Breasts For Cancer
By Missang Akpet
The Director General of the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Vivian Mesembe Otu, has urged women in the state not to die in silence or ignorance but to regularly check their breasts and seek early medical attention.
Dr. Otu gave the advice in Calabar on Saturday during a sensitization rally and free screening exercise organized by Pink Africa Foundation in conjunction with other stakeholders to mark October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The DG said women should know their breasts and immediately visit the hospital when they notice any lump.
"As women, we are expected to know our breast, check our breast regularly. When you feel a lump, go to the hospital though not all lump that are cancerous. When it is taken out and examined properly, that is when they will know if it is cancerous and you will be given treatment options".
"I'm reaching out to every woman in Cross River State not to die in silence or ignorance, come let us examine your breasts so we'll be sure that you're free from this dreaded monster," Otu said.
The DG acknowledged that the cost of cancer treatment is very high and beyond the reach of many poor people, but said the state government has encouraged residents to enroll in the National and State Health Insurance Schemes to subsidize their health services.
Also speaking, the President of the Medical Women's Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Cross River State chapter, Dr. Funke Ebuge, described breast cancer as the commonest cancer killing women in Nigeria and Africa, with about 1 in every 11 women coming down with the disease.
Ebuge said while the most common form of breast cancer is hereditary, other predisposing factors include obesity, sedentary lifestyle and smoking. She warned that the disease becomes difficult to treat when not diagnosed early.
Earlier, the Executive Director, Pink Africa Foundation, Glory Eno Egrinya, said the 2026 Go Pink Day with the theme "Turn Up The Fight In Breast Cancer Care" was aimed at addressing late presentation of cases.
Egurinya called on government and partners to support cancer care by subsidizing treatment and providing more facilities, noting that many women cannot afford radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
"Breast cancer has become a problem because of late presentation. That means awareness is not enough. Early detection saves lives but treatment is very expensive. We need government to come in and subsidize cancer treatment," she said.
The rally featured free screening for breast, cervical and prostate cancers as well as free eye check-ups.
