Women living at Agege community and its environs came out in droves to participate in the free cervical cancer screening which held on Tuesday, May 29, 2018. The event which was sponsored by Dreg Waters Petroleum and Logistics in association with Exquisite Magazine Services Limited was hosted by the management of the Agege Local Government maternity centre, Lagos. While speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of Dreg Waters Petroleum and Logistics, Damilola Owolabi expressed concerns about the rate at which cervical cancer takes the life of women in society. “Most women are unaware that cervical cancer is totally preventable, all they need to do is to check regularly and keep being healthy,” she noted. Owolabi further explained that, “At Dreg Waters, we appreciate the value that women add to our community, as such we are delighted to partner with Exquisite Magazine Annual Cancer Event (EMAC) on the “Smearit” project to provide free cervical cancer screening and awareness to the women of Agege, Lagos.”
In her remarks, the Founder/CEO of Exquisite Mag0azine Services Limited, Tewa Onasanya, reiterated that at least one woman die of cervical cancer every hour in Nigeria. She stressed that, “It is unacceptable for women to continue to die of a form of cancer that is 100% preventable.” Onasanya said that, “We are so grateful to our sponsors, Dreg Waters, for partnering with us financially to screen over 100 women. We are glad that these women were screened, they now know their status, and they know that early detection saves lives.”
One of the participants at the event, Chief (Mrs.) Aruwajoye, a retiree, explained that, “We were enlightened on the importance of regular checks in order to prevent breast and cervical cancer. And with the screening, we now know our status, and we are properly guided on how to keep fit and healthy. All thanks to the organisers of the event.” Dr. Kelly Maltida, founder of Dr. Kerry Life Foundation, who was a facilitator at the event, noted that cervical cancer is ranked second to breast cancer among cancers that kill women very fast. “Cervical cancer can be prevented, while breast cancer can be removed easily, if detected early,” she explained.