From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
The Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN), Kwara State Chapter, in partnership with Leah Medical Centre, has provided free breast and cervical cancer screening to over 100 women across the state.
The event, held in Ilorin on Saturday, was part of activities marking the YOWICAN Annual State Convention and the World Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
More than 100 individuals, including men, women, and youths, attended the outreach, benefiting from a range of free medical services, such as cancer testing, blood pressure, and blood sugar checks.
Speaking at the event, YOWICAN Chairman, Stephen Awoyale, stressed the importance of health awareness, particularly among Christian youths, many of whom, he noted, often neglect their health.
“We discovered that a lot of youths have issues with their health and we thought it wise to do something about it, especially among our women, both young and old,” Awoyale said.
“If we ask some of them to go to the hospital, they become reluctant, either because of money or personal reasons, so we have brought it to their doorstep for free, and we are believing God that it will be beneficial to everyone here today.”
A nurse from Leah Medical Centre, Olusola Timilehin, highlighted the critical role of early detection in combating cancer, especially during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “We have seen people who fought cancer and survived, just because it was discovered early enough, through tests and free interventions like this,” she said.
Miss Balogun Morenike and Mr. Moyo Abolarin, beneficiaries of the screening, expressed their gratitude, while commending the organisers, for the “big philanthropic exercise” that will help save cost and help prevent unnecessary deaths by encouraging people to manage their health proactively.
