Razaq Bamidele
It was ecstasy galore as an all-women Islamic organization, the Bounties Charity Initiative (Bountiis), stormed Lagos on an awareness campaign for women on the menace of the dreaded ailment called Cancer and how to prevent it. the organization has an Engineer, Dr. (Mrs) Falilat Jimoh as its Executive Director.
The focussed non-governmental organization (NGO), in partnership with other medical and paramedical organisations, launched Cancer awareness along with free screening for women in Lagos, during its ‘Muslimah Health Forum 2021’ session. The event was held at the Lagos Television Multipurpose Hall, Agidingbi, Ikeja.
The Muslimah Health Forum, according to the organizers, is an annual health event organised by Bountiis as a platform to raise conversation on various issues relating to women’s health and this year’s event featured three panels and a debate session on Anxiety and Depression, Hype of Cancer and the True Reality as well as Beauty and Lifestyle.
The Cancer panel, moderated by an experienced Dietician-Nutritionist, Hajia Kawthar Folashade Babaatunde emphasised the need for health education as the most important and essential tool that can assist in preventing cancer. The panel also extensively discussed the hype of cancer and the true reality with women in society.
Discussants at this session admonished women to pay more attention to their diet, eat in moderation, engage in routine exercise, live a healthy lifestyle, court family support and seek awareness and enlightenment on the dreaded ailment.
A speaker, Dr. Idayat Adejumoke Durojaiye, a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with the Lagos State Teaching Hospital advised women to go for regular screening like a self-breast examination to check for abnormality, visiting gynaecologists at least once in a year and cervical cancer screening to ensure that they get treatment from a licensed medical facility.
A Diagnostic Radiographer Hajia Kudirat Lawal Adeshina, who also participated in the discussion also had this to say: “There are options of treatment because it comes from therapy. Not all patients need radiotherapy. The nature of cancer makes it easy to spread to other parts of the body. So imaging is important to determine which treatment is preferable, either surgery or radiotherapy.”
READ ALSO: Women group commends FG, congratulate Fashola on Housing Scheme
The third panel moderated by Dr. Hafsah Ameen-Ikoyi, a Pharmacist and Certified Health Coach had Dr. Halimah Sumonu, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist; Hajia Mariam Solate-Eshinlokun, a Medical Laboratory Scientist and Certified food coach and Hajia Sola Adebayo, CEO, dwelled on the facts and fictions of beauty products and the need for creating and sustaining a balanced lifestyle. The speakers cautioned women against slimming products and inserting too many things into the vagina which may lead to great health problems.
They suggested communication, cleanliness, exercise and psychological wellbeing as factors that help in boosting sexual enhancements rather than excessive consumption of chemicals.
Medics from different works of life volunteered at the event to facilitate onsite free medical check-up that included breast examination and cervical screening for participants.