Pharmacy students under the aegis of the Anti-Drug Misuse and Abuse Programme (ADMAP) have organised an awareness campaign for students and residents in communities around the University of Benin (UNIBEN) as a way of marking this year’s World Cancer Day.
The students, during the rally, held various cardboards with different inscriptions about the disease. The campaign, which lasted more than four hours, saw the students visiting public places such as the Uselu Market and secondary schools close to the Ugbowo campus of the university.
Addressing market women in pidgin at Uselu Market, Kingsley Isibor, a 500-Level Pharmacy student, spoke expressly on the possible causes of cancer and how it could be prevented, noting that early detection is the best way of surviving the disease.
“I go beg una to chop many fruits. Also make una no drink alcohol, e no good for body,” Kingsley advised.
Demonstrating to the women how to frequently carry out Breast Self-Examination (BSE), Chinenye Ihejirika, ADMAP’s chairperson, encouraged nursing mothers to breastfeed their children for as long as six months and above, as this would reduce the risk of having breast cancer.
“Make una dey check una breast as I dey do so, at least every month, so that una go fit sabi wether something dey swell up for there. If una feel any pain or anything swell at all for the breast area or under una armpit or if una nipple soft well well, make una quick go hospital go meet doctor. Doctor go check am well for una.”
Chinenye also encouraged the women to maintain very good hygiene in the market place as dirtiness could be a predisposing factor to many diseases, including cancer.
One of the market women, Mrs Joy Osayi, thanked the students for giving such an eye opener, and said she never knew cancer had a cause.
“I never knew that cancer could be caused by something. I thought it has to do with spiritual afflictions; because one of my friends died of cancer immediately she returned from the village. We all had suspected someone in the village for her death,” she said.
A graduating student who was also among the organisers of the rally, Emmanuel Egbroko, stated that the rally was imperative as many were ignorant of how cancer grows.
The Pharmacy students also visited Russell International School, met with students in the senior secondary classes, where young girls there were also taught on how to detect breast cancer and told to avoid the use of contraceptives as this would increase the risk of having breast cancer.
Addressing the students, Chinenye said, “Abstinence from sexual intercourse is the key to avoiding all sexually transmitted infections.
“Using contraceptive only doubles the risk for breast cancer.”
Expressing her gratitude to the Pharmacy students, the proprietor of the school, Mrs Gloria Ejiroghene, said the students had done a lot to humanity and the future, as the information they passed to the students would save a life from being lost to the deadly disease in the future.
Also speaking at the event, the President of the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students (PANS), Darry Emazor, thanked the students who made themselves available for the campaign.
Ezekiel Efeobhokhan
(400-Level, Pharmacy)