A Public Health Physician, Dr. Chioma Nwakanma, has attributed the general belief and saying “it is not my portion” to leading cause of cancer death in Africa.
Nwakanma, who is the Executive Director of Smile With Me Foundation, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria in Awka on Saturday.
She said many people refused to go for screening and imbibe unhealthy behaviours because they believed they could not have cancer.
According to her, cancer screening and early detection makes it easier to treat and it reduces the chances of dying.
Nwakanma said the most common types of cancer were breast, cervical, prostate, colon, rectal, lung, liver, pancreatic and brain.
She said: “The Nigeria National Cancer Prevention and Control Plan (2018-2022) states that cancer is responsible for 72,000 deaths in Nigeria every year with an estimated 102,000 new cases of cancer annually.
“No one wants to hear the word cancer, as it is one of the most dreaded words in the English language.
“The reality is that children can have cancer, men and women can have cancer.
“The rich and the poor can have cancer.
“The religious and non-religious can have cancer.
“Blacks can have cancer and Whites can too.
“Cancer is killing more people worldwide than HIV/AIDs, Tuberculosis and Malaria put together, but most people will keep saying: ‘It’s not my portion.’
“They will refuse to go for screening for early detection and treatment.
“By the time symptoms start to appear, cancer may have spread and by the time they come to the hospital, it will be too late to treat.”
Nwakanma said cancer prevention and early detection was key to reducing the high rate of cancer deaths.
She added: “Wearing sunscreen can save you from skin cancer, drinking plenty of water can protect your kidneys, not smoking can save you from lung and cervical cancer and limiting or stopping alcohol reduces risk of liver cancer.
“It is really the little things that keep us safe.” (NAN)
About the Author
298005 940485This really is a excellent blog. Keep up all of the function. I too really like to blog. This is fantastic every person sharing opinions 525766
280380 358198Some genuinely interesting info, nicely written and usually user genial . 854094
I am regular visitor, how are you everybody? This article posted at this website is genuinely good.
It is actually a nice and useful piece of info.
I’m glad that you just shared this useful info with us. Please keep us up to date like
this. Thanks for sharing.
Wow that was strange. I just wrote an very long comment but after
I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up.
Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway,
just wanted to say fantastic blog!
Heya this is somewhat of off topic but I was
wondering if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML.
I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding experience so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience.
Any help would be enormously appreciated!
You actually make it seem really easy with your presentation but I to
find this topic to be really one thing that I believe I’d by no means understand.
It kind of feels too complex and very large
for me. I am looking ahead for your next publish, I
will attempt to get the grasp of it!
Fantastic beat ! I wish to apprentice even as you amend your site, how can i subscribe for a blog web site?
The account aided me a acceptable deal. I were tiny bit familiar
of this your broadcast provided brilliant clear
idea
Does your site have a contact page? I’m having problems locating it
but, I’d like to send you an e-mail. I’ve got some creative ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing.
Either way, great website and I look forward to seeing it expand over time.