The Niola Cancer Care Foundation (NCCF) has called on Nigerians who substitute healthcare for prayers, not to despise the importance of regular checkups if they hope to prevent cancer.
Speaking during the third edition of NCCF’s campaign against cancer, tagged IJOYA 3.0 in Lagos recently, she said many Nigerians were very religious people who neglect medical advice and prefers to pray against sickness.
She said: “I am also a Christian and I believe in prayers, but while you are praying, also go for checkup. My late husband was a loving Christian and a dedicated worker in church, yet we lost him to cancer. With checkups, healthy diets and regular exercise, we can prevent cancer.
“Eating unhealthy foods can cause damage to the body. Nigeria has a cancer epidemic, so the government should do more. I am glad now we have closed some borders because Nigeria is a dumping ground for foods we don’t need.
“Farmers should be encouraged to farm while on our part, we should go back to eating natural foods, vegetables, fruits, yam, bitter leaf, among others,” she said.
She said the campaign took the form of dance and exercise because Nigerians were lovers of dance and that as they dance and exercise, talks on the prevention of cancers were being dished out while also providing screening services for participants.