WORLD CANCER DAY: NOA CREATES AWARENESS IN ABIA

REPORTER: LAWRENCE NWOKEDI

As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark world Cancer Day, the Director National Orientation Agency (NOA), Abia State, Dr. Ngozi Okechukwu, has called on government at all levels, critical stakeholders to rise up in the fight to prevent the diease

Dr. Okechukwu made the call in Umuahia shortly after a roadshow organized by the management of the Agency in order to create awareness of the disease and ways to prevent it.

She enumerated some of the factors that negatively affect cancer care.

They include barriers encountered by persons who seek cancer care, income, education and discrimination based on gender, age, disability and lifestyle.

Dr. Okechukwu noted that through collective efforts of stakeholders in the health sector, traditional rulers, religious leaders and governments, the gap of inequity of cancer care in the society would be closed up.

She explained that cancer could be preventable and urged the people to always visit government healthcare centres for early diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Some of staff of the Agency, who spoke with Radio Nigeria, noted that creation of public enlightenment would go along way in educating the people on the dangers of the diease and how to prevent it.