BENIN CITY — The Lift Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO) has screened 45 women for breast and cervical cancer as part of efforts to promote early detection and improve access to cancer screening services in Edo State.
The screening exercise, held at Oredo Primary Healthcare Centre in Benin City as part of the 2026 Breast Cancer Awareness Month, also featured awareness activities aimed at encouraging women to prioritise their health and seek regular medical examinations.
Speaking at the event, the President of LAPO, Mrs Faith Osazuwa-Ojo, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to cancer prevention, early detection and improved access to healthcare.
She disclosed that through the LAPO Community Campaign for Cancer Control (LAPO-C4), the organisation had reached more than 5.5 million people with cancer prevention education, awareness and advocacy on early detection and access to care.
Osazuwa-Ojo said this year’s theme, “Every Story is Unique, Every Journey Matters,” highlighted the personal experiences of people affected by cancer and the need for compassion, support and collective responsibility in addressing the disease.
She noted that many women continued to face barriers to early diagnosis and treatment, stressing that increased awareness and access to screening services were essential to reducing deaths associated with breast cancer.
The LAPO president urged women to prioritise regular breast examinations and appropriate screening, while calling on families and communities to support those affected by cancer and discourage the stigma associated with the disease.
She commended the Edo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency and Oredo Local Government Area for partnering with LAPO to promote breast cancer awareness and screening.
The Matron of Oredo Primary Healthcare Centre, Mrs Irogue Evelyn, said the facility was conducting breast examinations and cervical cancer screening for women, alongside prostate screening for men.
She explained that the exercise formed part of activities marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.
Evelyn described the turnout as encouraging, noting that healthcare workers had been sensitising women in markets and surrounding communities to take advantage of the free screening services.
She disclosed that 45 women had been screened for breast and cervical cancer, while expressing hope that more women would participate in the exercise.
According to her, the target is to screen between 50 and 100 women by the end of the month.
The matron explained that free breast and cervical cancer screening services were available at public health facilities across Edo State, with trained personnel on hand to conduct the examinations.
She encouraged women who had yet to participate in the exercise to visit their nearest health facility, stressing that early detection could save lives.
On her part, Mrs Valentina Osaro, said awareness campaigns by the organisation had encouraged more women to participate in breast and cervical cancer screening over the years.
She said LAPO had taken its sensitisation activities to various communities, churches, markets and motor parks to educate women on the importance of early detection and encourage them to access free screening services.
Osaro explained that the services were available at designated public health facilities, including Egor Staff Clinic, Evbuotubu Primary Healthcare Centre and Evbuomodu Primary Healthcare Centre.
She added that LAPO provided screening kits to health facilities to support the delivery of the services without charge to beneficiaries.
According to her, the programme is designed to make screening accessible to women who might otherwise be unable to afford the cost of medical examinations.
Osaro urged women to take advantage of the initiative, adding that the free screening services remained available beyond the October awareness campaign.
The Edo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, through its representative, Mrs Itohan Bazuaye, described LAPO as a key partner in efforts to improve cancer awareness and screening across the state.
Bazuaye said the agency had collaborated with LAPO on several non-communicable disease interventions, including cancer screening and awareness programmes in different locations.
She explained that the October campaign focused particularly on breast cancer awareness, while also providing opportunities to educate the public on cervical cancer and prostate screening.
According to her, the agency conducts community sensitisation activities, including outreach to rural communities, landlords’ meetings and health education sessions for women attending antenatal care and immunisation services.
She said healthcare workers also provide one-on-one counselling to people who visit health facilities with questions or concerns about their health.
Bazuaye urged women to seek medical attention whenever they noticed unusual changes in their breasts, warning against misconceptions that could discourage people from seeking timely care.
She stressed the importance of early detection and explained that patients requiring further investigation or specialised treatment were referred to appropriate secondary healthcare facilities.
She added that the agency also followed up on referred patients to encourage them to attend appointments and continue their treatment.
Meanwhile, a beneficiary of the free breast and cervical screening, Mrs Maryjane Peace, expressed appreciation to LAPO for providing free breast cancer screening.
Peace, who confirmed that she had undergone the screening, described her experience as satisfactory and said she did not pay for the service.
She encouraged other women to participate in the exercise to ascertain their health status and seek medical attention where necessary.
She thanked LAPO for bringing the free screening and awareness programme closer to the people.
The organisers reiterated the importance of sustained public awareness, regular screening and collaboration between government agencies, healthcare providers and development organisations in the fight against cancer.