The Cancer Consciousness Initiative, an NGO, has called for early cancer detection, expanded health insurance and increased research to improve women’s access to diagnosis and treatment in the North-East.
The Chief Executive Officer of the initiative, Dr Hannatu Ayuba, made the call on Saturday in Yola during the Mega Rally Cancer Walk organised as part of the 2026 Pinktober Cancer Awareness Campaign.
Ayuba, a Consultant Radiation and Clinical Oncologist at the National Hospital, Abuja, said the three-day campaign, held from Oct. 15 to Oct. 17, had the theme, “Awareness to Access”.
She said the campaign began in Adamawa with a town hall meeting, cancer screening and community awareness walk, with subsequent activities planned for Borno, Taraba and Bauchi.
Ayuba, who is also Programme Lead of the Teleoncology Hub, said the initiative was collaborating with partners and the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) to promote health insurance packages covering cancer investigations, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery.
She commended the wife of the Adamawa Governor, Hajiya Lami Fintiri, for pledging support for health insurance for women undergoing cancer treatment at specialist hospitals.
According to her, the initiative is establishing referral pathways to connect women with breast lumps to ultrasound scans, biopsies, histological assessments and biomarker tests to determine appropriate treatment.
“The campaign initially targeted 500 women for screening but reduced the number to 300 in each of the targeted states because of funding constraints,” she said.
Ayuba said samples collected from patients would undergo further investigations, including immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction tests, to identify tumour characteristics and guide treatment decisions.
She urged governments, philanthropists, private businesses and community leaders to support cancer patients, citing financial constraints, language barriers and limited access to specialised healthcare services.
“Cancer is a community problem; it is not just a hospital problem. No one should be left to face cancer alone rather there should be compassion and an end to stigmatisation,” she said.
Ayuba also called for collaboration with traditional and religious leaders to discourage reliance on traditional remedies and encourage women to seek timely medical attention.
A cancer survivor, Mrs Sarah Sarki, said she discovered a lump in her right breast in 2019 but was initially told at a hospital that it was not cancerous.
She said the lump later returned, prompting her to seek traditional remedies before further hospital investigations confirmed cancer in 2021.
Sarki said the diagnosis led to years of treatment and financial challenges.
She advised women to practise regular breast self-examination and seek medical attention promptly whenever they noticed unusual changes, warning against relying on traditional remedies for cancer treatment.
