ONDO STATE MINISTRY OF HEALTH CONDUCTS CAPACITY BUILDING FOR HEALTH WORKERS IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY HEALTHCARE FACILITIES ON CLINICAL BREAST EXAMINATION

Ondo State Ministry of Health built the capacity of 130 health workers in 65 primary and secondary healthcare facilities on clinical breast examination
This is to help in early detection of breast cancer and also to strengthen breast examination in the primary and secondary health facilities to reduce the scourge of breast cancer in Ondo State.

The Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Ministry of Health, Dr. Adeniran Ikuomola noted that breast cancer is fast becoming a public health concern as about 14,000 women die annually as a result of breast cancer also emphasising the alarming rate women in Ondo State are coming down with cancer at the terminal stage.
He said "Breast cancer is treatable when detected early but when it is at the terminal stage, it takes the grace of God. Breast self examination is the easiest thing to do. We urge women in our State to learn it and teach every woman around them."

Dr. Ikuomola hinted that in a bid to create awareness and to entrench clinical breast examination into the services of the primary and secondary facilities in the State, the Ministry is training 130 health workers in 65 health facilities in the Eighteen (18) Local Government Areas of the State.

He charged the participants to create awareness about breast cancer in their various facilities and also step down the training to all women they come in contact with in their respective facilities. "Every woman you come across must be taught to examine their breast. The Government is interested in the health of every woman in the State. Talk about breast cancer in your antenatal and immunization meetings. Bring women together in Churches, Social circles, Mosques and in your home. It will help in increasing the knowledge in the State. You are our change agent in all the health facilities and local government areas in the State."

The representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), Mr Adewale Moses lauded the effort of the Government saying it would compliment their cervical cancer screening where many cervical cancer cases at different stages were detected while also noting that breast cancer examination is another way to go.

The resource person for the capacity building, Dr. (Mrs.) Ndidi Okunnuga of the University of Medical Science Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH) noted breast cancer is a major scourge among women in Nigeria and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that about 250,000 cases of breast cancer are seen every year in Nigeria and about 10,000 people die annually as a result of cancer.
She explained further that Nigeria has the highest cases of death from breast cancer in Africa and there are increasing incidence of breast cancer among Nigerian women.

She lauded the effort of the Ondo State Ministry of Health in training health workers saying it would boost the knowledge and awareness among health workers in the State and also help in early detection of the disease.
Dr. (Mrs.) Okunnuga urged the participants to passionately step down the training to every woman they come across saying it is the cheapest means of early detection.

The Director Public Health, Ondo State Ministry of Health, Dr Stephen Fagbemi said a referral booklet had been provided to track new cases of breast cancer for immediate medical help.