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Access to Basic medical Care Foundation collaborated with Oyo State Ministry of Health, University College Hospital (UCH), Society for Family Health (SFH), Roche and ISN to conduct free breast and cervical screening for women in all the 33 Local Government Areas in the state. This is in line with the launching of the Cancer Control Plan 2018-2022. This outreach is aimed at reaching out to women in the state and it will help in early discovery of  breast and cervical cancer which will be followed up and treated appropriately.

The outreach kicked off on 30th July, 2o18 at Irepo Local Government, where it was flagged off by the wife of the Chairman, Alhaja Rasheedat Adediran, in attendance were Dr Olusola Oriniowo representing the Founder of ABC Foundation Dr (Mrs) Florence Ajimobi and Dr Ladipo representing the Commissioner for Health.

The screening kicked off at Irepo local government, Orelope local government and Olorunsogo local government. The medical team consisted of three groups, each group was assigned to each local governments for screening and 500 women were screened in each local governments.

World Breastfeeding Week is always celebrated on the 1st-7th of August every year to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world.

Breastfeeding is the best way to provide infants with the nutrients they need. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding starting within one hour after birth until a baby is 6 months old. Nutritious complementary foods should then be added while continuing to breastfeed for up to 2 years or beyond.

According to the World Health Organization, here are 10 Breastfeeding Facts:

1. The World Health Organization states that breast milk is the ideal food for newborns and infants, providing all the nutrients they need for healthy development, including antibodies that help protect infants from common childhood illnesses such as diarrhoea and pneumonia, the two primary causes of child mortality worldwide.

2. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding starting within one hour after birth until a baby is 6 months old to promote health.

3. Only about 36 percent of infants aged zero to 6 months worldwide were exclusively breastfed over the period of 2007 to 2014. The lives of over 820,000 children could be saved every year among children under 5 years if all children zero to 23 months were optimally breastfed.

4. To meet the growing needs of babies at 6 months of age, parents can introduce nutritionally-adequate and safe complementary foods while continuing to breastfeed up to 2 years of age or beyond.

5. Breast milk can provide half or more of a child’s energy needs between the ages of 6 and 12 months, and one-third of energy needs between 12 and 24 months. It is also a critical source of energy and nutrients during illness.

6. Breastfeeding also helps boost health later in life, with teens and adults who were breastfed less likely to be overweight or obese and less likely to have type 2 diabetes. It is also associated with better school attendance, better performance in intelligence tests, and higher income in adult life.

7. Skin-to-skin contact along with suckling at the breast both help to stimulate the production of breastmilk, including colostrum, also called the baby’s ‘”first vaccine,” which is extremely rich in nutrients and antibodies.

8. Exclusive breastfeeding can also benefit moms, reducing the risks of breast and ovarian cancer, type II diabetes, and postpartum depression.

9. Due to its hormonal effect breastfeeding is also associated with a natural (though not fail-safe) method of birth control known as the Lactation Amenorrhea Method, which gives 98 percent protection in the first six months after birth and can help space pregnancies.

10. For infants born to HIV-infected mothers, antiretroviral drugs are now available to allow these children to exclusively breastfeed until they are 6 months old and continue breastfeeding until at least 12 months of age with a significantly reduced risk of HIV transmission.

The determination to curb illicit trafficking of Nigerians across national and international borders, a non-governmental organisation, the Live  Abundantly Empowerment Initiative (LAEI), in collaboration with the Oyo State Government, held a sensitization programme to educate citizens in the state of the inhuman treatment victims of human trafficking encounter. The event, which commemorated with the World Human Trafficking Day was held at the Civic Centre Ibadan.

The Chief Executive Officer of Access to Basic medical Care Foundation, Dr (Mrs) Florence Ajimobi was represented by COO, ABC Foundation, Mrs Dolapo Oyedipe, Commissioner for Women Affairs, Community Development, Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation in the state,  Mrs. Atinuke Osunkoya and the Convener of the Initiative, Dr. Ama Onyerinma were present at the event  which seek to end human trafficking.

Cervical cancer is cancer that begins in the uterine cervix, the lower end of the uterus that contacts the upper vagina. Cervical cancer occurs when the cells of the cervix grow abnormally and invade other tissues and organs of the body. When it is invasive, this cancer affects the deeper tissues of the cervix and may have spread to other parts of the body (metastasis), most notably the lungs, liver, bladder, vagina, and rectum. Cervical cancer remains a common cause of cancer and cancer death in women in developing countries without access to screening (Pap testing) for cervical cancer or vaccines against Human Papilloma Virus (HPVs). However, cervical cancer is slow-growing, so its progression through precancerous changes provides opportunities for prevention, early detection, and treatment.

Having said this, there are some generally believed myths about cervical cancer which are not totally true or not true at all. Few myth and truth are discussed below;

MYTH 1: I need a Pap Test every year.

TRUTH 1: If your Pap and HPV tests are both normal, you don’t need to get a Pap test every year. The following screening guidelines for women with previously normal Pap and HPV test result are recommended;

• Aged 21-29: Pap test every three years.
• Aged 30-64: Pap test and HPV tests every five years
• Aged 65 and older: Speak with your doctor about whether you need to continue Pap and HPV tests.

MYTH 2: HPV isn’t that common, it only affects people with multiple partners, so I don’t need to worry about the HPV vaccine or HPV test.

TRUTH 2: HPV is very common. Approximately 80% of men and women are infected with HPV at some point in their lifetime.

MYTH 3: The HPV infection clears up on its own.

TRUTH 3: HPV infection clears up in most people without them knowing they were exposed. However, in some people, the infection persists and can lead to serious health problems such as genital warts and several types of cancer including cervical cancer.

MYTH 4: I can’t have children now that I’ve had cervical cancer.

TRUTH 4: Yes, cervical cancer patients typically undergo a hysterectomy and/or chemotherapy and radiation therapy to the pelvic area. But there are a lot of new treatment options that enable our doctors to spare patients’ fertility so they can become parents.

MYTH 5: Cervical cancer is hereditary.

TRUTH 5: Though some female cancers such as breast and ovarian cancer are passed down from parent to child, cervical cancer is not. Cervical cancer is caused by HPV, so the best way to make sure your kids don’t get it is to ensure they get the HPV vaccine.

MYTH 6: Cervical cancer cannot be prevented.

TRUTH 6: Infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) is an absolute requirement for cervical cancer to develop. This virus is transmitted sexually, but the majority of the most worrisome types of infection can be prevented with a newly available vaccine. Preventing HPV infection dramatically reduces a woman’s risk of cervical cancer. In addition, cervical cancer usually develops shortly after persistent infection with HPV and will first appear as a precancerous condition called dysplasia. If detected at this stage, it can be effectively treated to prevent cervical cancer from developing. Screening with Pap smears and tests for HPV detect these precancerous conditions so patients are treated early.

MYTH 7: I am too young to worry about cervical cancer.

TRUTH 7: The average age of cervical cancer patients is 48years. While it’s not common, women can be diagnosed in their 20s. HPV infection and the precancerous condition dysplasia are common in younger women.

MYTH 8: I don’t have intercourse, so I don’t need the HPV vaccine.

TRUTH 8: HPV can be passed from one partner to another through intercourse, as well as orally and through touching.

It is better and safer to get screened and tested to avoid having cancer. Early detection saves lives.

The representative of CEO, Access to Basic Medical Care Foundation, Mrs. Dolapo Oyedipe during her address, said that the issue with human trafficking needed a concerted effort to handle because of the means devised by a trafficker to recruit victims.

Mrs Dolapo Oyedipe said the treatment victims faced serves as a major reason for this advocacy, urging the trafficking has to be eradicated. She added that the governor’s wife is passionate about the welfare of women, their health, social, physical, emotional and psychological state.  impact it has on the victims.

On that note, Mrs. Ajimobi acquired a Cobas 4800 machine for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) screening in order to enable women to detect cervical cancer early.

She advised that every sexually active woman should go for HPV screening regularly.

She also urged them to go for regular screening as early detection of any life-threatening disease can be treated and cured like any other health condition.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Community Development, Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation in the state,  Mrs. Atinuke Osunkoya and the Convener of the Initiative, Dr. Ama Onyerinma also gave their speech at the event.

13th June, 2018 was the grand finale of a successful three-day free medical outreach conducted by SET National Sports Lottery Foundation in collaboration with Access to Basic medical Care Foundation. It was successful because of the lives that were saved and also the ability to create a health awareness to the public.