ACCI NEWS WATCH: JOS MISSION REPORT, October 21, 2009.
This year’s mission spanned from October 5 to 14, 2009 and was exceptional. ACCI spent 10 days in Jos, the capital of Plateau State of Nigeria. The mission was spread through 3 hopitals: Dadinkowa General Hospital where most of the public education and cancer screening was conducted; Plateau State general hospital, were all the surgical cases were addressed, and Government Hospital Basa, where all the eye cases where seen. In the time frame, we saw 1200 patients at Dadinkowa out of which 750 where screened for cervical, breast, colorectal and prostate cancers. The incidence of cervical cancer was quite high. We found early stage cervical cancer and dysplasia in 1/3 of women screened along with many cases of vaginal infections. Fortunately, we had medications to treat these findings. Breast cancer was also prevalent but not as much as we had seen in the southern States of the country. We also discovered an unusually high incidence of liver cancers in late stages. Some were already being treated at Jos Teaching Hospital and were there for second opinion. Most of them had no funds to seek treatment. Another incidental finding is high prevalence of untreated hypertension. Their blood pressures were so high that we had to start most of them on blood pressure medications and then referred them to the Plateau State hospital for follow-up and further work-up.
Obviously lacking, was poor information about cancer, especially as it relates to prevention and the importance of early detection and routine screening. In this part of the country where life style lends to high incidence of cervical cancer, there is an urgent need for aggressive and continued public education. There is a great need to empower young girls with knowledge to foster self help and self preservation. There is an urgent need for education with the intent to change the orientation from treatment to prevention. There is need for prevention education focusing on life style changes, diet, infection, and the place of poor hygiene, family history and the environment in cancer occurrence.
Other outcomes of this year’s mission to Jos include 120 free surgeries covering lumpectomies, fibroid removal, thyroidectomies, etc. Local surgeons volunteered. They joined the mission and provided these surgeries to the indigenes of Plateau State. Also provided were 115 cataract removals with sponsorship from one of the local government chairman, a humanitarian act for his people. The government also provided 85 pairs of prescription glasses free to those that were in need of prescription glasses but were not able to aford one before now.
This year’s cancer walk-a-thon took place in Jos on October 10th. It was a five mile walk. Many elderly women including retired teachers who had just volunteered to continue with grass-root community education joined in the walk. They were very happy to help and there voices could be heard loud singing newly formulated cancer awareness songs as we walked through the park, market place, Jos GRA and ended at the Plateau State Specialist Hospital. We even spared time to educate church congregations.
It turned out to be a community effort with all hands on deck. Everyone involved worked to ensure a successful mission for the people of Plateau State. The commissioner of Health who is a pathologist organized the reading of all the slides made from cervical smears and biopsies produced from surgical samples. He even made time to read some himself. The Governor and First Lady of the State promised to pay for treatment of cases discovered and they plan to establish a screening center and support the women we trained to continue community cancer awareness education.
