2023 World cancer day: Nigerians celebrate with 5km walk

As the rest of the world marks 2023 world cancer day celebration, in Abuja, Nigeria a group held an annual 5km walk awareness campaign.

Since 2015, Pink Blue has been hosting this project an initiative led by the Union for International Cancer Control.

With this year’s theme “closing the care gap", the group, appeals for more medical personnel in the health sector, adding that Nigeria bears a whole burden of cancer.

“So we are committed to this year’s theme “ closing the care gap” and we are asking all stakeholders in the health sector, the Ministry of health, the medical association, all those concerned to do a lot more for the cancer patients, said Gloria Nwajiogo, President, network of cancer victims, Nigeria”.

“Cancer is real and it affects humans in Africa and in Nigeria, every year alone we have 1.1million alone in Africa, we have over 7000 deaths in Africa, so we felt it right to partner with Project Pink Blue to support and create awareness, Dupe Olushola, MDC Transcorp Hotel PLC, Abuja”.

Some cancer survivors at the event encouraged other patients to be hopeful and abide by medical prescriptions adding that the disease can be managed successfully.

“I have survived cancer for the past five years and I am here to show the world that we can conquer cancer no matter what it takes. This will give hope to people, Violet Tutasi, survivor”

“It will encourage others and make them bold, when you tell somebody, I have cancer, they will look at you as if you are a dead person, when I was diagnosed, I was so afraid, I couldn’t mingle with people, I was isolated but when I saw people that have survived working with this cancer group, I was relieved a bit, Onyekachi Chidinma, Survivor”.

Nigeria is one of the countries in the world with the highest cancer mortality rate with approximately 4 out of 5 cases resulting in death, the group says awareness like this is a wake-up call for victims to take precautions on the diseases.

World Cancer Day was made official at the first World Summit Against Cancer in 2000. The event took place in Paris and was attended by members of cancer organizations and prominent government leaders from around the world.