Women in Kwara State are now to pay a token sum of N200 annually for cervical and breast screening.

Speaking during the commencement of a weeklong sensitisation programme on breast and cervical cancer in Ilorin at the weekend, the founder of LEAH Charity Foundation and wife of Kwara state governor, Mrs. Omolewa Ahmed, said the foundation which hitherto had three screening centres in Ilorin, the state capital, had increased it to 16 across the state.

Mrs. Ahmed said her concern for cervical and breast cancer patients was borne out of vision and personal experiences.

She said: "My advice to women in the state is for them to make maximum use of the opportunity. We are just starting. We hope to have screening centres in all the nooks and crannies of the state. But for now, we have 16 centres. I encourage all our women that have got themselves screened to go out there and talk about it to others. With that, we can reduce if not halt the scourge in our midst.

"I got the vision of this programme and had personal experiences. The response of our people to the foundation has been very encouraging. In February, we commenced the massive sensitisation of our people in the state.

"Ever since the sensitisation programme, the response has been overwhelming. That time we went to about nine local government areas across the state. Even when we went to Baruten Local Government Area, the following day we had women coming all the way from distant areas just to have themselves examined of either breast or cervical cancer."

Also speaking, Special Assistant on Project to the governor's wife and a medical practitioner, Dr Mustapha Ahmed, bemoaned the devastating effect of cancer.

"The effect of breast and cervical cancer is disastrous as it has no cure. Once it is not detected early and it establishes itself either in the breast or cervix, death is the answer. It is a dangerous disease that has no cure or treatment.

"The only treatment is prevention. If one goes for a breast test and finds a lump in the breast and it is excised or operated before it establishes, there will be no problem. If it is left to become cancerous, it degenerates and spreads to other organs of the body.

"Cancer has no specific cause, but might not be unconnected with the chemicalised foods we consume these days. Therefore, this sensitisation programme is meant to reduce the occurrences and deaths that are being caused by cancer," he said.