Over 230 men walk against prostate cancer in Enugu

More than 230 men in Enugu on Sunday staged a walk against prostate cancer to create awareness about the disease and its high fatality rate among residents. The 10-kilometre anti-prostate cancer walk, which began from the popular Okpara Square en route Court Road, Ezilo Road and back to Okpara Square, featured distribution of prostate cancer […]

More than 230 men in Enugu on Sunday staged a walk against prostate cancer to create awareness about the disease and its high fatality rate among residents.

The 10-kilometre anti-prostate cancer walk, which began from the popular Okpara Square en route Court Road, Ezilo Road and back to Okpara Square, featured distribution of prostate cancer awareness leaflets as well as free testing and counselling.

Briefing newsmen after the walk tagged “Men on Blue Initiative,” the Executive Director of Project Pink-Blue, an NGO, Mr Runcie Chidebe, said that prostate cancer was the leading cancer killer in men especially those above 40 years.

According to Chidebe, the death rate of prostate cancer was becoming alarming due to the negative attitude of most men concerning their health and lack of regular comprehensive health check-ups.

Chidebe said: “Prostate cancer is the third leading cancer death in Nigeria and the leading cause of cancer deaths in Nigerian men. However, very little or nothing is said about prostate cancer in Nigeria.

“Every October, organizations roll out their drums of awareness focused on breast cancer, however prostate cancer is always missing, while several men die in silence and pain because their prostate cancer was discovered at late stages.”

He said cancer in general is a devastating disease which comes to everyone as a burden and pain, and appealed to all to encourage everyone to screen themselves, adding that “early detection and treatment save lives.”

The Chairman of the Board of the NGO, Prof. Peter Ebigbo, enjoined Nigeria men to engage in healthy life-style, while engaging in eating, drinking and working moderately and having enough rest.

According to Ebigbo, who was formerly a professor of psychological medicine in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka,  with early detection, the cancer can be operated on and removed or managed and put in check for a very long time.

Ebigbo further said: “The intervention will use three core strategies, such as: prostate cancer awareness, prostate cancer free screenings and social media campaigns.

“The target is to provide free prostate screening for 2000 men, and thousands of people directly and indirectly with prostate health information in Nigeria.”