OCCF, persistently creating awareness on cancer, partners with other foundations to prevent spread
October is the month of breast cancer awareness worldwide. It is a month when the awareness of the No 1 scourge of humanity needs to be intensified. Breast cancer continues to be the leading cancer disease afflicting Nigerian women. 1-2 in 25 Nigerian women continue to be at risk of developing Breast Cancer in their lifetime.
Optimal Cancer Care Foundation (OCCF), a Non-Profit Organisation has taken it upon herself to be at the forefront of raising awareness, preventing the spread, early detection when it arises and offering care, compassion and hope at the earliest possible time to members of the Nigerian public.
Over the past 4 years, OCCF has prided itself as the number one advocacy and screening centre in Nigeria. She has embarked on outreaches to corporate organisations, faith-based congregations and communities across the length and breadth of the country.
The Go Pink Breast Cancer Ball 2016 is the first time the Foundation is partnering with other Foundations outside Lagos, in order to create the much-needed awareness in other geographical locations across Nigeria.
The Founders of these other NGOs and Foundations happen to be Wives of Governors – First Ladies, who individually are doing advocacy work and more importantly, setting up cancer screening centres that would screen the women that have been empowered by the ongoing awareness campaigns in their respective states.
They are Zainab Bagudu of Kebbi State (Medicaid Cancer Foundation), Florence Ajimobi of Oyo State (ABC Medical Foundation), Olufunso Amosun of Ogun State (UPLIFT Development Foundation) and Omolewa Ahmed of Kwara State (LEAH Foundation). The Go Pink Breast Cancer Ball 2016 is hence tagged the ‘First Ladies Edition’ because Optimal Cancer Care Foundation would be partnering with the Cancer Foundations and NGOs set up by these compassionate First Ladies.
The vision behind this first-of-its kind awareness campaign in Nigeria is to take the message of breast cancer and its awareness nationwide. Optimal Cancer Care Foundation shall be working in partnership with these NGOs to further develop strategies to improve access of women to cancer screening services in their respective states and regions in the first instance, and then subsequently push the frontiers of advocacy to other states and other underserved regions.
In addition, throughout the month of October, there has been a month-long free cancer screening exercise at the OCCF screening centre in Surulere – Lagos while the Pink Breast Cancer Ball, a dinner reception and fundraiser event is scheduled to hold on Saturday 29th, 2016 at the Grand African Ball Room of The Intercontinental Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos.
OCCF shall be fundraising for the new cancer screening centre they are proposing to set up for the women of Ikorodu, a sprawling and dense-populated town in the suburb of Lagos.
Major sponsors for the Go Pink Breast Cancer Ball include Airtel, Intercontinental Hotel Group, Capital Oil, Wumi O Fashion House and Rexkraft Events.
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth and spread of cells. It can affect almost any part of the body. The growths often invade surrounding tissue and can metastasize to distant sites. Many cancers can be prevented by avoiding exposure to common risk factors, such as tobacco smoke. In addition, a significant proportion of cancers can be cured, by surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, especially if they are detected early.
World Health Organization (WHO) said about 24.6million people live with cancer worldwide while about 12.5 per cent of all death is attributable to cancer. It further estimates that over 100,000 Nigerians are diagnosed with cancer yearly, while about 80,000 die from the disease. This translates to 240 Nigerians every day or 10 Nigerians every hour, dying from cancer. Nigeria’s cancer death ratio of 4 in 5 affected persons is one of the worst in the whole world.