By Kemi Olatunde
Ondo State Government has screened women in its civil service for breast cancer.
This exercise, which was organised to commemorate the 2025 Breast Cancer Awareness Month, underscored government’s commitment to the well-being of its workforce
Speaking with The Hope during the screening exercise in Akure on Wednesday, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Adeniran Ikuomola, noted that breast cancer remains the leading cause of death among women globally while also highlighted the urgency of proactive intervention.
According to him, to increase awareness among the women, the state galvanised efforts to move beyond mere advocacy into actionable screening programmes for women in the state
Dr. Ikuomola harped on early detection and the need for women to regularly examine their breasts to detect suspicious lumps or changes as soon as they appear.
Ikuomola said by identifying cancerous cells in their nascent stages, the prognosis for treatment and full recovery dramatically improves effectively, which he said would transform a death sentence into a manageable condition.
He reiterated the commitment of Ondo State Government to saving the lives of women, while announcing that the state has already institutionalised free breast examination services across the state primary and secondary health facilities.
In his words ” this provision ensures that no woman is excluded from receiving essential preventative care due to financial constraints or proximity to specialised centres.”
Dr. Ikuomola described breast cancer as a major public health concern that requires a holistic and community-wide response, noting that the screening exercise, was meticulously designed not just to diagnose, but primarily to reach as many women as possible in the employment of the Ondo State government.
He urged the beneficiaries of the screening programme to act as ambassadors of awareness adding that they step down the critical knowledge they had acquired to women in their families, workplaces, and surrounding communities.
He concluded by stressing the importance of making breast self-examination a monthly routine saying “cultivating this simple, regular habit is the surest way to detect subtle changes in the breast.”