As part of efforts to create awareness on the type of cancer prevailing among Nigerian women, and men, Zenera Consulting will on the first day of December hold an awareness campaign and a 3.4-kilometre walk in Lagos.
The Cancer Walk, themed ‘Hope Beats Cancer’ and other initiatives is conceived to mark the fifth-year anniversary of the advertising and public relations firm and also to give back to the society.
According to the firm, the 3.4-kilometre walk (approximately 30 minutes) is supported by the Federal Road Safety Corps and Health Maintenance Organisation partner, Roding Healthcare Management.
It said, the walk will commence from Four Point Hotel to Lakeshore Centre, Sanusi Fafunwa street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Managing Partner of the firm, Meka Olowola, expressed that Zenera hopes to raise awareness generally on cancer, and more specifically, Multiple Myeloma, a rare form of blood cancer.
“Cancer awareness is still at a very low level in Nigeria, and for those who are aware, they look out for the most common forms. With this walk, we are identifying with those who have lost loved ones to one form of cancer or the other and encouraging those who are battling this that hope beats cancer.
We are also creating awareness for Multiple Myeloma, a rare disease that represents about two percent of all cancers. A lot of people do not hear of it until they are diagnosed, and this makes it harder to beat. We have seen cancer as a very valuable knowledge and awareness point for us, ” he said.
Dr Oge Ilegbune, the Head of Strategy at Lakeshore Cancer Centre said her organisation, which is the only private operational facility in Nigeria, dedicated solely to cancer prevention and treatment is partnering with organisations who are like-minded like Zenera and are looking at cancer with hope and a need to drive awareness
“In Nigeria, people should not be dying from preventable forms of cancer just because they are not aware until it reaches Stage Four. As a cancer centre, we cannot be waiting for people to come through our doors at Stage Three and Four.
We need to concentrate on education and awareness. When people get the right information, and they start talking about it, then they can start asking, ‘where can I go and do a screening?”
“Roding Healthcare has been a long-time HMO partner to Zenera Consulting and we are very excited about this initiative. We will be coming in with our medical team and ambulance to support the cancer awareness walk,” Gbolade Ogunsan added.
Since inception, Zenera has initiated various social investment programmes and identified with worthy causes aimed at impacting lives and communities. Apart from the cancer walk, in December 2018, the company will be sponsoring a golf tournament at Lakowe Lakes Golf Course, Lagos.
