By OKEKE JANE
Kebbi State First Lady, Dr. Zainab Bagudu has stressed the need for early detection as a panacea for winning the war on cancer.
Dr. Bagudu however lamented that most cancer patients come for treatment when the disease has reached an advanced stage hence the need for concerted efforts by key stakeholders and policymakers to create awareness.
Speaking to journalists at the sidelines of an event hosted by Medicaid Cancer Foundation in Abuja, the First Lady also admonished that myths and superstitious practices in the search for cure must be vigourously challenged with education.
She said: “The official loss rate in Nigeria today is about 70 percent. We loose 70 percentage of our cancer patients. We also tend to loose more patients in rural areas because of lack of awareness,. However, it is still more loss than survivors because most patients come when the disease is at a late stage and this is what we keep saying.
“That is why we target young people, schools because we wany yo be able to detect the disease early. Countries that have 20 percent cure rate are detecting it early because they are aware and they are secreening.
“Low and middle income countries, education is poor and illitracy is high and there are superstition we need to fight. These are the things we as a foundation are striving hard to fight.”
