Hundreds of sweepers and other women engaged by Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) have undergone free breast and cervical cancer screening and treatment, through the agency’s collaboration with Optimal Cancer Care Foundation and Access Bank Plc.

Addressing the beneficiaries at Ijora-Olopa, venue of the exercise, the Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, stressed the importance of regular checks for early detection of cancer cases, noting that early detection of the disease aids its successful management by the victim.

He said, “I took interest in this partnership to let you know that your wellbeing is our priority and we will continue to look after you. The most important thing about this is for you to know your status and avoid having the disease, by listening to all that would be explained by the medical expert here. Prevention, they say, is better than cure”.

“I appreciate Optimal Cancer Care Foundation and Access Bank for choosing LAWMA for this laudable programme focus on the women. 70 per cent of our workforce are women; the screening exercise is to let you know that we are looking after your health”, he stressed.

Odumboni admonished the participants to be mindful of their health in the course of discharging their duties, noting that the importance of getting tested is to know their health status as well as serve as a preventive measure against the disease.

The Medical Director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, Dr. Femi Olaleye, lectured the women on self-examination for early detection of cervical and breast cancer and the warning signs, adding that they should immediately consult their doctors, anytime they noticed anything unusual.

He said his foundation offered discounted and free cancer screenings to help women, in addition to early intervention treatment for those diagnosed with the disease.

The Head of Women Banking, Access Bank Plc, Mrs. Abiodun Olubitan, disclosed that the decision to collaborate with LAWMA and Optimal Cancer Care Foundation on the exercise was informed by the need to create awareness and provide preliminary treatments to women coping with the health challenge.

She stated further that the bank had deployed a lot of resources to connect, empower and inspire women, particularly in the area of health, adding that it is important for women to regularly check themselves, to know their health status.

One of the beneficiaries of the programme, Mrs. Kehinde Raji, thanked LAWMA for facilitating the event, describing it as a great opportunity to get properly educated and sensitised on the very important health issue.

She said, “I appreciate our Managing Director’s effort. He is a kind man. This screening is such an eye-opener and I have really learnt a lot. I will also tell others about what I have learnt”.

The programme also featured a question and answer session, during which the beneficiaries asked questions on healthcare before they took turns for the screening test.