9th February, 2012
Lagos State Ministry of Health in conjunction with the Oshodi-Isolo Local Government has flagged off the free cervical and breast cancer screening programme in Oshodi Isolo Local Government Area, Lagos, southwest Nigeria.
The exercise which was inaugurated by the wife of the Lagos State Governor, Mrs Abimbola Fashola, at the Kairo Market in Oshodi is to educate market women and give them the opportunity to get screened.
She blamed the market women for not taking proper care of their health and enjoined them to take advantage of the free cervical and breast cancer screening.
The governor’s wife praised the state Ministry of Health for the exercise, saying that it is meant to affect the life of an average woman in the community.
She informed the market women of the importance of the exercise and the danger they may face if they ignore it.
The Chairman, Oshodi Isolo Local Government, Bolaji Ariyoh, thanked the state government for the initiative.
“I am extremely happy that this exercise is coming up in my local government, I also commend the state government for its foresight in bringing up this laudable programme which is targeted at reducing the prevalence of preventable diseases such as cancer that could be averted if screening had been done early and regularly,” he said.
He promised to support the initiative as it is one of the cardinal points of his administration to transform the lives of the people of the council.
“I wish to state that on my part, I will continually give maximum support and priority to health services as it is often said that ‘a healthy nation is a wealthy nation’,” he said.
He added: “My dream is to leave a mark on the sand of time, through good programmes that will benefit the common people, such as effective primary healthcare services, social infrastructure development, security of lives and property, access to qualitative and free universal basic education, women and youth empowerment and provision of social welfare schemes,”.