In
a bid to continue to raise awareness about breast cancer, a non-governmental
organization (NGO), Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, will on Saturday, October
4, 2014, hold a charity fund raising event (dinner and concert).
Tagged:
‘Go Pink’, the event which will hold at the prestigious Intercontinental Hotel,
Victoria Island, Lagos, will begin at 7pm.
Speaking
at a press briefing held last Tuesday, September 16, 2014 in his office at 118
Bode Thomas Street, Surulere, Lagos, the Medical Director of Optimal Cancer
Care Foundation, Dr. Femi Olaleye, said that the Go Pink Breast Cancer
Awareness Campaign and Benefit Concert is designed to help raise awareness
about breast cancer screening, early detection and treatments.
He
also hinted that the Go Pink campaign shall therefore, be used as a platform to
highlight the struggles of some of the survivors of breast cancer and celebrate
their positive spirit that is helping them to overcome these challenges.
“The
foundation, at the event shall be honouring with gifts and affection, to a few
selected breast cancer survivors who have been strong enough to fight this
deadly disease and struggle through various challenges, especially in their
relationships. The Benefit Concert is meant to raise funds to support our
cancer screening projects,” he said.
Olaleye,
however, stressed that the priority for the foundation is the purchase of a
mammogram machine so that the NGO can offer more subsidies for women needing to
do the vital test.
“The
NGO will like to purchase a vehicle to improve their ability to deliver cancer
screening outreach to women living in grassroots communities. The foundation
therefore, calls on the well-meaning members of the public to come out and
support Go Pink Breast Cancer Benefit Concert by buying tickets to enjoy a
wonderful dinner/concert.”
Explaining
why he set up the foundation, the medical doctor who relocated to Nigeria from
the United Kingdom (UK) where was based, said his exposure on how the UK
ensures that women are sensitized on the need for early detection and treatment
of breast cancer inspired him to return to help Nigerian women, coupled with
the fact one of his younger brothers died of Leukemia (cancer of the blood).
“October
is the global month of breast cancer awareness, recognized officially by the
World Health Organisation (WHO) as the universal observation month for the
number one cancer that afflicts humanity. In Nigeria, breast cancer afflicts
one-to-two in every 25 women, with risks higher in women with family history
and previous or concurrent medical history of ovarian cancer and breast cancer.
“Despite
this alarming piece of statistics, a large number of women in Nigeria are not
aware of the risks they carry, neither are they aware of how to safeguard their
lives by learning simple self breast examination techniques (recommended by
WHO), nor are they attending regular cancer screening whereby the use of
equipment such as breast ultrasound scan, mammography and histo-pathology can
be used to detect breast cancer very early, and doctors are able to deal
effectively with such lesions before it can kill.
“Sadly,
due to lack of awareness, poverty and general lack of availability of equipment
and personnel, our women (mothers, aunties, wives, sisters and daughters, not
to mention friends, brethren in church/mosques, colleagues and neighbours) are
being taken away from us on a daily basis by this scourge.
“Optimal
Care Foundation, a non-profit, non-governmental organization was established to
raise awareness about breast cancer, provides breast cancer screening and
provide financial support through subsidized, and free diagnostic/treatment
services to women across Lagos and at various cancer screening outreaches being
delivered across several communities in Nigeria such as Abuja, Benin, Offa in
Kwara State and Calabar in Cross River State,” he emphasized.
The
campaign, according to him, shall extend throughout the month of October and
the provision of free cancer screening every Friday in October and 50 percent discount
on mammograms and 50 percent subsidy on breast ultrasound scans booked in
October at their centres located across Lagos.
“Tickets
for the concert are available at the foundation office and online:
www.naijaticketsshop.com. Ticket prices include: regular -N15,000.00
(N10,000.00 for women already registered with the NGO), very important
personality (VIP) – N25, 000.00 (N45, 000.00 for couples), very very important
personality (VVIP) – N100,000.00 for couple and N1 million for corporate
table.”
Some
of Nigeria's best artistes and celebrities including Omawumi, 9ice, Wande Coal,
Bank W, Shasha P, Yemi Alade, Funke Akindele, Ireti Doyle, Liz Anjorin, Emeka
Smith, Emeka Ossai, Mofe Duncan and many others, will gperform at the event
that will be anchored by notable personalities including Olisa Adibua.
SOURCE: ADADIKE BLOG
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