The Nigerian Air Force has commissioned a cancer screening and registry centre in Kaduna state, North-West Nigeria.

The project, which is an initiative of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, is part of the efforts to pay significant attention to the general well-being of Nigerian Air Force personnel, their relatives and members of the host communities.

Speaking during the commissioning of the centre located inside the NAF Hospital in Mando, Kaduna, the Air Force boss, represented by the Air Officer Commanding Training Command, Air Vice Marshal Nurudeen Balogun, said that the aim is to provide personnel of the Nigerian Air Force, their families and members of the host communities the opportunity to carry out routine medical checks in order to detect cancers early enough and commence treatment.

It was built to fill the gap, complement government healthcare delivery programmes and help in reducing the devastating effect of diseases in the country.

Records have shown that cancer, especially cervical cancer, has led to early and untimely death of women in recent time.

This, the Air Force acknowledged, is being occasioned by inadequate screening centre for early detection and treatment.

While expressing worry over the prevalent rate of cancer, especially among women, Air Vice Marshal Nurudeen Balogun urged officers and men of the service and their families to take advantage of the facilities provided in order to remain cancer free. The Director of Medical Services, Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, Air Vice Marshal Saleh Shinkafi, said that the centre has been equipped with modern facilities for the screening of all types of cancer for early detection and treatment.

He also highlighted the importance of the cancer registry to provide a reliable database for research and planning for public health intervention programmes.

According to statistics, over half a million people globally die from breast cancer annually while over six million people are living with the disease worldwide.

In Nigeria, about 71,600 deaths are recorded annually from cervical cancer with many yet to be detected. (Channels TV)

Update news