No fewer than 200 health workers drawn from 60 public health facilities including the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), 15 General Hospitals and 44 Primary Health Care Centres have been trained to provide breast and cervical cancer screening for citizens in their facilities.

The eight-day training programme was sponsored by the Lagos State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), to increase access to cancer screening services in all State health facilities.

Speaking at the close of the capacity-building workshop, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, noted that the partnership between the State Government and UNFPA on the cancer control programme was geared towards making cancer screening services more accessible and readily available in public health facilities in Lagos.

Dr. Ogboye, who was represented by the Director of Disease Control in the Ministry, Dr. Rotimi Agbolagorite, explained that the capacity-building workshop is part of a larger partnership-support arrangement leveraging available resources to improve access to cancer screening services.

He added that UNFPA is also supporting the State Government to improve community sensitisation and public enlightenment on the availability of free breast and cervical cancer screening services in 60 designated public health facilities across the State.

The Permanent Secretary disclosed that the State government has so far screened a total of 53,762 women since the inception of the free breast and cervical cancer screening exercise in the 60 designated health facilities.

Earlier, the Head of Office, Lagos Liason Office, UNFPA, Dr. Omolaso Omosehin, who was represented by Maternal and Family Planning Analyst, UNFPA, Dr. Akinkunmi Akinbajo, commended Lagos for improving access to cervical and breast cancer screening services, noting that the State has continued to blaze the trail in providing access to maternal and child health services.

Omosehin pledged the support of UNFPA to deepen its partnership with Lagos State Government beyond the present 60 free cancer screening sites, adding that the UNFPA will do more to improve access to breast and cervical cancer screening services.

He also restated the commitment of UNFPA to achieving three zeros by 2030, envisaging that zero preventable maternal deaths would be achieved through the Agency’s support for the cancer control programme.

“The second zero is to end all unmet needs of family planning and the third zero is to eradicate all forms of gender-based violence against women, which include female genital mutilation, early child marriage and harmful traditional practices”, he noted.

In her remarks, the Lagos State Focal person, Cancer Control Programme, Dr. Abosede Wellington, explained that the best way to prevent breast and cervical cancer is through early and regular screening, noting that early detection of breast and cervical cancer will lead to better management of the condition.

She urged women to visit any of the 60 cancer screening sites located across the State to avail themselves the opportunity of the free breast and cervical cancer screening exercise being provided by the State government.

A participant, Evelyn Olufunke, applauded the State government for organising the highly impactful capacity-building workshop, expressing her resolve to enlighten people to submit themselves for breast and cervix screening.

She explained further that the training has also improved her knowledge of breast and cervical cancer screening, adding that the take-home from the exercise is a commitment to cascade the knowledge shared at the workshop to other health workers.