Breast cancer awareness concert ‘Go Pink’ holds October 4, 2014

In a bid to continue to raise awareness about breast cancer, a non-governmental organization (NGO), Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, will on Saturday, October 4, 2014, hold a charity fund raising event (dinner and concert).

Tagged: ‘Go Pink’, the event which will hold at the prestigious Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, will begin at 7pm.

Speaking at a press briefing held last Tuesday, September 16, 2014 in his office at 118 Bode Thomas Street, Surulere, Lagos, the Medical Director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, Dr. Femi Olaleye, said that the Go Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign and Benefit Concert is designed to help raise awareness about breast cancer screening, early detection and treatments.

He also hinted that the Go Pink campaign shall therefore, be used as a platform to highlight the struggles of some of the survivors of breast cancer and celebrate their positive spirit that is helping them to overcome these challenges.

“The foundation, at the event shall be honouring with gifts and affection, to a few selected breast cancer survivors who have been strong enough to fight this deadly disease and struggle through various challenges, especially in their relationships. The Benefit Concert is meant to raise funds to support our cancer screening projects,” he said.

Olaleye, however, stressed that the priority for the foundation is the purchase of a mammogram machine so that the NGO can offer more subsidies for women needing to do the vital test.

“The NGO will like to purchase a vehicle to improve their ability to deliver cancer screening outreach to women living in grassroots communities. The foundation therefore, calls on the well-meaning members of the public to come out and support Go Pink Breast Cancer Benefit Concert by buying tickets to enjoy a wonderful dinner/concert.”

Explaining why he set up the foundation, the medical doctor who relocated to Nigeria from the United Kingdom (UK) where was based, said his exposure on how the UK ensures that women are sensitized on the need for early detection and treatment of breast cancer inspired him to return to help Nigerian women, coupled with the fact one of his younger brothers died of Leukemia (cancer of the blood).

“October is the global month of breast cancer awareness, recognized officially by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the universal observation month for the number one cancer that afflicts humanity. In Nigeria, breast cancer afflicts one-to-two in every 25 women, with risks higher in women with family history and previous or concurrent medical history of ovarian cancer and breast cancer.

“Despite this alarming piece of statistics, a large number of women in Nigeria are not aware of the risks they carry, neither are they aware of how to safeguard their lives by learning simple self breast examination techniques (recommended by WHO), nor are they attending regular cancer screening whereby the use of equipment such as breast ultrasound scan, mammography and histo-pathology can be used to detect breast cancer very early, and doctors are able to deal effectively with such lesions before it can kill.

“Sadly, due to lack of awareness, poverty and general lack of availability of equipment and personnel, our women (mothers, aunties, wives, sisters and daughters, not to mention friends, brethren in church/mosques, colleagues and neighbours) are being taken away from us on a daily basis by this scourge.

“Optimal Care Foundation, a non-profit, non-governmental organization was established to raise awareness about breast cancer, provides breast cancer screening and provide financial support through subsidized, and free diagnostic/treatment services to women across Lagos and at various cancer screening outreaches being delivered across several communities in Nigeria such as Abuja, Benin, Offa in Kwara State and Calabar in Cross River State,” he emphasized.

The campaign, according to him, shall extend throughout the month of October and the provision of free cancer screening every Friday in October and 50 percent discount on mammograms and 50 percent subsidy on breast ultrasound scans booked in October at their centres located across Lagos.
“Tickets for the concert are available at the foundation office and online: www.naijaticketsshop.com. Ticket prices include: regular -N15,000.00 (N10,000.00 for women already registered with the NGO), very important personality (VIP) – N25, 000.00 (N45, 000.00 for couples), very very important personality (VVIP) – N100,000.00 for couple and N1 million for corporate table.”
Some of Nigeria's best artistes and celebrities including Omawumi, 9ice, Wande Coal, Bank W, Shasha P, Yemi Alade, Funke Akindele, Ireti Doyle, Liz Anjorin, Emeka Smith, Emeka Ossai, Mofe Duncan and many others, will gperform at the event that will be anchored by notable personalities including Olisa Adibua.