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Hope Rekindles For Nigerian Women With Dense Breasts

Published

2 years ago

August 15, 2023

2 in 3 women unhappy with their breast size – Study

The acquisition of an Automated Breast Ultrasound, ABUS, device by Care Organisation Public Enlightenment, C.O.P.E. in collaboration with GE HealthCare weekend, offered hope for Nigerian women who may fall into the category of the 40 per cent of women with dense breasts – a strong and common risk factor for developing breast cancer.

Findings have showed that ABUS is transforming breast care from reactive to proactive and helping to detect breast cancers in dense tissue.

Clinical studies have demonstrated that ultrasound can detect tiny, node-negative, aggressive tumours that mammography misses. It is intended for use in the screening setting, specifically for dense breast imaging.

However, the Chief Executive Officer of COPE, Mrs. Ebun Anozie, said the procurement of the technology is targeted at scanning at least 200 women monthly and no fewer than 2,000 women annually.

The machine, which would save as many women as possible from the clutches of the disease, also works with saline and silicone breast implants.

Speaking at the official launch in Lagos, Anozie said: “Do you know what this will do to a lot of women who come to us? It will enhance our screening. It will help us detect breast cancer early and we will be able to reach out to more women. This is the A game. It is going to help a lot of women, not forgetting the fact that men also have breast cancer, one in 100. It’s just that it is higher in women than men because we have breasts.

“We screen every third Saturday of every month. But, we have attended to about 100 persons before in one day because we have four machines and this is the fifth one. Women come here every third Saturday of the month from 10 am to 2 pm. ordinarily, it costs about N15,000 to go for screening. Here, our partners have made it free. What we want is to mitigate the mortality rate of breast cancer in Nigeria. We don’t need to die. Screening is the game because when something is detected early and treatments are given early, there is a high chance of surviving cancer.”

Speaking, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, C.O.P.E, Professor Frank Giwa-Osagie, said the technology was advancement in cancer management, adding that early diagnosis would prevent loss of lives.

He said: “It’s been established that the chances of survival or cure in cancer depend heavily on early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. It is only when you diagnose that you can start treating, so any technology that can be applied to ensure accurate early diagnosis is a major step forward in cancer management. This ABUS technology is an advanced ultrasound for scanning the breast. It’s a major advancement not only for C.O.P.E but for women generally.

“We are very happy and grateful that we have this machine now in Lagos, and we are planning to scan at least 2,000 women per year. The whole procedure of scanning takes only 20 minutes and it is not inconvenient at all to the woman.”

On his part, Group Head, Strategic Brand Management, Mr Nduneche Ezurike, added: “Cancer ravages every family directly or indirectly. It is something that you are better off preventing than to cure. Historically, it predates the current-day Polaris Bank. For us as an organisation, it is ultimately about humanity. Health is an enterprise goal and we are focused on it in different ways. Having a state-of-the-art machine improves C.O.P.E’s capacity to do more in terms of reach and impact. This machine totally changes the game for them and it would help in attaining the objective, which is to reach as many women as possible.”
VANGUARD

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UK Rejects Nigeria’s Request To Transfer Ekweremadu

Published

10 hours ago

November 24, 2025

Editor

The United Kingdom has rejected a request from the Nigerian government to transfer former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu to Nigeria to complete his prison sentence.

Ekweremadu is serving time in a UK facility after he was found guilty in 2023 of plotting to harvest the kidney of a young man.

He received a jail term of nine years and eight months following the conviction, which stemmed from a high-profile organ-trafficking case that drew international attention.

With the latest decision, Ekweremadu will remain in the UK to serve out the remainder of his sentence.

Headline

Trump Blasts Ukraine For ‘Zero Gratitude’ Amid Talks To Halt War

Published

1 day ago

November 23, 2025

Editor

US President Donald Trump on Sunday accused Ukraine again of lacking “gratitude” for Washington’s support against Russia’s invasion, as top US and Ukrainian representatives met in Geneva for talks on a proposal to halt the war.

“UKRAINE ‘LEADERSHIP’ HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR OUR EFFORTS,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, also blasting European countries for not doing enough to stop the war, but offering no direct condemnation of Moscow.

His comments came as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was meeting with top Ukrainian officials in a wintery Geneva Sunday to discuss the US president’s controversial 28-point plan for ending the nearly four-year conflict.

The Ukrainian delegation, headed by Andriy Yermak, also met with high-level officials from Britain, France and Germany in the Swiss city, as European countries scramble to have a seat at the table in the discussions.

Trump had given Ukraine until November 27 to approve the plan, but Kyiv wants changes to a draft that accepts a range of Russia’s hardline demands, including requiring the invaded country to cede territory, cut its army and pledge never to join NATO.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday said he was “sceptical” a deal could be reached by that deadline.

The US president told reporters Saturday the proposal was not his final offer and he hoped to stop the fighting “one way or the other”, raising hopes that it would be possible to strengthen Kyiv’s position.

– ‘Ukrainian perspectives’ included –

A US official, who asked not to be named, told AFP that a number of meetings were held throughout the day Sunday, with the US and Ukrainian delegation holding “detailed discussions about the peace agreement”.

“It was productive and even conclusive in some areas,” the official said, adding that a second round of talks underway at the US mission in Geneva aimed at “ironing out the details of the agreement”.

By late Sunday afternoon, Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov said the latest version of the US draft plan, which AFP has not seen, “already reflects most of Ukraine’s key priorities”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said on social media that the “American proposals may include a number of elements based on Ukrainian perspectives and critical for Ukrainian national interests”, hailing that “diplomacy has been reinvigorated”.

– Recognise European ‘centrality’ –

The US plan was drafted without input from Ukraine’s European allies, who were striving Sunday to make their voices heard and boost Kyiv’s position.

“Ukraine must have the freedom and sovereign right to choose its own destiny. They have chosen a European destiny,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement, stressing that the “centrality” of the European Union’s role must be “fully reflected” in any peace plan.
Ukraine’s European allies gathered at the G20 summit in South Africa stressed that the US plan requires “additional work”.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb told AFP that he and Italian leader Giorgia Meloni had called Trump early Sunday to discuss his Ukraine proposal.

“Of course, we discussed the situation, the 28-point plan, and some of the developments here in Johannesburg related to the peace plan,” he said, declining to reveal the content of the discussions.

French President Emmanuel Macron told a news conference at the G20 that the plan contained points that had to be more broadly discussed as they concerned European allies, such as Ukraine’s NATO ties and Russian frozen assets held in the EU.

He said the 30 countries in the “coalition of the willing” supporting Kyiv will hold a video call on Tuesday following the Geneva talks.
European Union countries were also planning to meet to discuss the Ukraine situation on the sidelines of a meeting with African leaders in Angola on Monday.

– ‘Wish list’ –

Questions were meanwhile being raised over how much input Moscow may have had in drafting the original proposal, which was welcomed by the Kremlin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the blueprint could “lay the foundation” for a final peace settlement, but threatened more land seizures if Ukraine walked away from negotiations.
Ahead of Sunday’s talks, Washington insisted the Trump proposal was official US policy, denying claims by a group of US senators that Rubio told them the document was a Russian “wish list”.

Rubio himself insisted on social media late Saturday that “the peace proposal was authored by the US”.

“It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations. It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine.”
That did not calm all concerns.

“Together with the leaders of Europe, Canada and Japan, we have declared our readiness to work on the 28-point plan despite some reservations,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X Sunday.

“However, before we start our work, it would be good to know for sure who is the author of the plan and where was it created.”

Headline

Pope Leo XIV Demands Immediate Release Of 315 Abducted Niger Students, Teachers

Published

1 day ago

November 23, 2025

Editor

Pope Leo XIV has appealed for the immediate release of 315 people abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwarra Local Government Area of Niger State.

Speaking on Sunday, the Pontiff expressed deep distress over the mass kidnapping, which included students, teachers, priests, and other members of the Catholic community.

“I received with profound sorrow the news of the abduction of priests, faithful, and schoolchildren. I make a heartfelt plea for the swift and unconditional release of all those being held,” Pope Leo XIV said.

The attack occurred in the early hours of Friday when armed men reportedly invaded the private Catholic school in a well-coordinated operation.

According to local sources, the assailants arrived in large numbers, riding on more than 60 motorcycles and supported by a van, before forcing their way into the premises.

During the assault, the school’s gatekeeper was shot and left critically injured.

A resident of Agwarra confirmed the incident, noting that the exact number of abducted students has yet to be verified.

IPOB kicks against Nnamdi Kanu’s transfer to Sokoto prison
“It happened between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m.. The number of students taken is still unclear,” the source said.

Another community source added that several teachers were also seized during the raid, raising further concerns about the scale of the attack and the safety of the victims.