cancer moment of celebration

An annual 5 kilometer awareness walk was organized in Abuja, Nigeria, as the rest of the globe celebrated World Cancer Day in 2023.

This project, which is an initiative run by the Union for International Cancer Control, has been hosted by Pink Blue since 2015.

The association calls for additional medical professionals in the health sector with the topic of this year’s event, “closing the care gap,” noting that Nigeria has a significant cancer burden.

Gloria Nwajiogo, President of the Network of Cancer Victims of Nigeria, said, “We are committed to this year’s theme of “closing the care gap” and we are asking all stakeholders in the health sector, the Ministry of Health, the medical association, and all those concerned to do a lot more for the cancer patients.”

We felt it was appropriate to join with Project Pink Blue to support and raise awareness because cancer affects people in Africa and Nigeria, where it kills over 7000 people annually. Dupe Olushola, MDC Transcorp Hotel PLC, Abuja

Some cancer survivors present at the event urged other patients to maintain hope and follow medical advice, saying that the condition can be properly controlled.

Since I’ve been cancer-free for the past five years, I want to inspire people throughout the world by demonstrating that we can beat cancer no matter what it takes. People will see hope in this. Survivor Violet Tutasi

“It will inspire others and give them courage,” says Onyekachi Chidinma, a survivor, “because when you tell someone you have cancer, they will look at you as if you are a dead person. When I was diagnosed, I was so afraid; I couldn’t mix with people; I was isolated. But when I saw people who had survived working with this cancer group, I was a little bit relieved.”

According to the organisation, awareness of the condition is a wake-up call for victims to take safeguards against the diseases. Nigeria has one of the highest cancer mortality rates in the world, with nearly 4 out of 5 cases ending in death.

The inaugural World Summit Against Cancer in 2000 saw the official establishment of World Cancer Day. Members of cancer groups and significant world leaders from governments attended the event, which was held in Paris.