The Mediatrix Development Foundation, founded by former First Lady of Cross River State, Dr. Linda Ayade, has concluded a three-day Cancer Awareness and Screening Programme at the Obudu German Hospital.
Held from 22nd to 24th October 2026 in commemoration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the outreach provided women in Obudu and surrounding communities with health education, breast cancer screening and other preventive health services. Men also benefited from prostate health checks, counselling and treatment for other conditions as volunteer medical personnel joined the Foundation to carry out free treatment at the Obudu German Hospital facility in celebration of Cancer Awareness Month
The programme began with an awareness road walk and stakeholder engagement, ending at Girls’ Secondary School, Obudu, where students from three schools debated breast cancer awareness—sending a strong message that cancer education must begin early.
Dr. Ayade, President of the Foundation, urged women to embrace healthy lifestyles and seek medical attention early. She also called on policymakers and government to invest more in cancer care, noting that the cost of treatment remains a heavy burden for ordinary citizens.
The outreach was co-sponsored by First Ladies Against Cancer (FLAC), an alliance of serving and former governors’ wives committed to cancer care, advocacy and improved access to screening and treatment.
Oncology Nurse Cecilia Azu of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) who participated in the outreach, expressed excitement over the awareness programme stating that that many patients from northern Cross River present at the hospital only when the disease is already at an advanced stage, making care difficult and sometimes impossible.
Speaking to newsmen, the Executive Director of the Mediatrix, Mr. Olamide Onifade, said early detection remains one of the most effective ways to improve treatment outcomes. He urged women not to allow fear, ignorance or stigma to delay them from seeking medical attention.
The Foundation called on community leaders, women’s groups, faith-based organisations, schools, health workers and development partners to continue spreading accurate information on cancer prevention and early detection.
