Taraba State government has said that about two or more cases of breast and cervical cancer are reported annually in each of the state’s general hospitals and a few primary healthcare centres.
The commissioner for Health, Dr Godiya Buma, stated this at the flag-off ceremony of Breast and Cervical Cancer Awareness Campaign in Jalingo, the state capital, calling for urgent intervention from all stakeholders to prevent the disease in the society.
The cancer awareness month campaign 2025, was organised by the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Taraba State Chapter, in collaboration with the North-East Development Commission (NEDC), with the theme, “Every Story is Unique, Every Journey Matters.”
The health commissioner said the two diseases are better prevented than treated, considering the pains, stress and cost on cancer patients and the families.
“The challenge is that, the financial impact is so devastating that some of them opted to die than to go for the treatment.”
Dr. Buma, who was represented at the event by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Dr. Chufor Harmony, acknowledged that, what the women in medical are doing is strategic and key in saving the lives of women.
“If we prevent what will affect us in 39 years to come today, it is better than treating it in 40 years to come, which we don’t know the impact it will have on ourselves.
“So, the prevalent rate is quite high, if you compare it worldwide, that I can say, in a year you will have about two cases or more of cancer cases per General Hospitals and some primary healthcare centers, which is quite enormous when you put together the figure from all the general hospitals in Taraba State.
“In all the General Hospitals, if you have two cases in a whole year, to say the least, we have about 15 general hospitals and primary healthcare centers.”
He noted that, Taraba has a lot of cases of breast and cervical cancer, especially at the rural areas, which calls for a sustained awareness campaign on women to reduce the impact.
He called on women to always avail themselves for screening, especially those above 40 years, for early treatment.
The Taraba State coordinator of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Lawal Adamu, stated that the disease has been a major health concern for women, requiring the collective efforts of all.
Adamu, who underscored the role of women in the society, assured the medical women of NEDC’s continued support, saying that the commission will back any initiative that promotes healthcare delivery for women.
The president, Taraba State chapter of the Medical Women Association of Nigeria, Dr Echuseh Audu, said the campaign was a reflection of its commitment to improving women’s health through collaboration and compassion to women.
The president said as a professional body, the association will not relent in its vision of empowering women in health and to improve the health of all Nigerians.
Dr Audu commended the NEDC for supporting the initiative, and pledged to leverage on its expertise to advocate for policies that promote healthcare delivery.
There was goodwill messages from guests, testimonies from cancer survivors, a drama presentation by the Taraba State Arts Council and stage performance by Taraba State University students, as well as health talks delivered by Dr. Maryam Musa Haruna, who spoke on Understanding Breast Cancer: Signs, Prevention, and Early Detection, and Dr. Rakiya Jibril, who presented a paper on Cervical Cancer Awareness and the Role of Vaccination and Screening.
Experts advised that, women above 40-50 years should ensure regular breast and cervical screening to help with early detection, treatment and prevention of the disease.
