WCD: Helpline Foundation advocates for more action

By Stanley Onyekwere

As the world marks 2020 World Cancer Day (WCD), a non governmental organization based in Abuja, Helpline Foundation for the Needy, has called for political will of government at all levels to stimulate action on combating one of the world’s most dreaded disease.
President and founder of the group, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, who made the call during a press conference as part of activities to mark 2020 call to action also advocated for personal commitment and individual action to be taken to impact the future and defeat cancer.
Ahmadu revealed that World Cancer Day was designed to save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about cancer, noting that the day also serves as an occasion to push governments and individuals across the globe to take action against the disease.
Speaking on 2020 theme: “I Am and I Will”, Ahmadu described the theme as apt, stressing that the battle against cancer is a collective responsibility of both government and personal commitment.
She used the occasion to call for early diagnosis, treatment and palliative care, noting that an estimated 40 percent of deaths from cancer are preventable if awareness and early treatment is intensified. This will no doubt spare so many families the agony of losing their loved ones.
According to her, “World Cancer Day aims to save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness about cancer, and pushing governments and individuals across the world to take action against the disease.
“We at Helpline Foundation for the Needy are disturbed because according to the World Health Organization (WHO), if the incidence of cancer continues to grow at the reported cases, the number of deaths worldwide from cancer will increase to more than 13.1 million by 2030”.
Ahmadu equally expressed concerns over the global statistics that shows that more than 70 percent of deaths from cancer, occurs in economically less-developed countries, just as she called on developing countries to design mechanisms for drawing attention to cancer prevention and treatment in their respective states.