Wife of the Governor of Anambra State, Mrs Nonye Soludo, has urged women to turn out massively for the cervical cancer screening and treatment exercise in the state.
Mrs Soludo stated this during the official flag-off of free cervical cancer screening and treatment campaign in Anambra State, at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Amaku, Awka.
The free exercise is through a partnership with World Health Organization (WHO), Clinton Assess Health Initiative (CHAI) and Anambra State Ministry of Health.
WHO and CHAI would be providing logistics and technical support for the pilot phase of the programme which would cover five thousand Anambra women of reproductive age.
Speaking during the flag-off, Mrs Soludo who is a Cervical Cancer Champion, commended the health partnership, and urged women to make themselves available for the exercise at designated hospitals.
The Governor’s wife pointed out that early diagnosis remains the most important step in eradicating the killer disease, and said that with the exercise having been tailored to have wide spread, she was optimistic it will bear good results.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, said that if discovered early, a woman has ninety percent chance of being cured, noting that the programme has been brought directly to the people, especially those at the grassroots.
He said that the programme would be sustained after the first phase, noting that women who are captured in the Anambra State Health Insurance Scheme, would have access to designated testing and treatment hospitals.
Dr Obidike thanked the governor’s wife for her support to the programme, as well as the health partners who are leading the maiden campaign.
On his part, the South East Zonal Coordinator of WHO, Dr Chukwumuanya Igboekwu, said that three hundred thousand deaths occurred globally in 2018 alone as a result of cervical cancer, with low-income countries being the worst hit, stating that by accepting to lead the campaign, the governor’s wife has reflected the determination of Anambra State government to tackle cervical cancer head-on.
The Anambra State Coordinator of WHO, Dr Adamu Abdunnasir and his CHAI counterpart, Dr Olusegun Olowale, said that the collaboration with Anambra State has been effective, with the state government providing its share of the counterpart funding for each partnership projects, including the cervical cancer campaign.
The Governor’s wife and wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs Oluchi Ibezim also ran a demo of the cervical cancer screening process.
The Commissioner for Special Duties, Barrister Sly Ezeokenwa, the Executive Secretary of Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Chioma Ezenyimulu, the Executive Secretary of Anambra State Health Insurance Agency, ASHIA, Dr Simeon Onyemaechi, among others, attended the flag off ceremony.
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