Rotary targets 170,000 for HIV, cancer, diabetes screening
The 2017 edition of the free health care programme of Rotary International has kicked off nationwide on Thursday with over 170,000 vulnerable people and indigent families targeted for free medical screening and treatment. About USD$200, 000 (over N73 million) would be spent on the 2017 edition of the Rotary Family Health Days under the Rotarian […]
The 2017 edition of the free health care programme of Rotary International has kicked off nationwide on Thursday with over 170,000 vulnerable people and indigent families targeted for free medical screening and treatment.
About USD$200, 000 (over N73 million) would be spent on the 2017 edition of the Rotary Family Health Days under the Rotarian for Family Health and HIV/AIDS prevention (rfha) programme launched in 2012.
It would be recalled that over 140,000 people benefited from the programme last year in designated locations across the country.
Coordinator of the programme, Rot. Bola Oyebade said the number of beneficiaries was increased to 170,000 because of the increasing demand from people, saying the response from beneficiaries had been awesome.
There would be 49 centres in Lagos and 11 in Ogun which make up the district 9110 of Rotary while over 100 centres would be spread across the country.
“We want to ensure that each member of the community knows their health status. We are going to give drugs, counselling and at times make referral”, Oyebade said.
According to him, about 5000 Rotarians and many volunteers would participate in the programme which consists of HIV testing and counselling, Hepatitis B & C, Diabetes and Glucose level screening, tuberculosis screening, polio immunization, among others.
Rotary District 9110 Governor, Dr. Adewale Ogunbadejo said the organization was committed to the health programme to reach out to vulnerable people especially women and children in communities across the country.
He also disclosed that the Rotary would soon commence massive breast cancer screening, saying breast and cervical cancer has become “like a Wi-Fi” which many people including teenagers and old people easily contract.