Cancer Screening: UNIOSUN Medical Students Supports HFDI With Awareness To Ajegunle Community
By Titilola Olaniyan,
Osun State University, UNIOSUN Medical Students (Set 26) who are on industrial training at Hope for Family Development Initiative (HFDI), supported the organisation in its activities by conducting sensitisation on cervical cancer screening at Ajegunle Community in Osogbo.
The outreach which raised awareness on the importance of prostate cancer screening particularly among men in the informal sector, was facilitated with the supervision of HFDI Programme officers, Sangodele Yemi and Ajayi Itunuoluwa.
The public sensitisation formed part of the students’ community health engagement, offering them hands-on experience in public health education.
The sensitisation which was an interactive one, hinging on health talk, was conducted from shop to shop to ensure inclusiveness and convenience for the participants, with other topics such as prostate cancer discussed explicitly, including what it means, the signs and symptoms and the importance of early detection through regular screening.
The UNIOSUN Medical students emphasised the risk factors as age, family history, diet and lifestyle, and also highlighted the benefits of early diagnosis in preventing complications.
The facilitators at the outreach, informed the participants on the need for regular health check-ups and encouraged the men, especially those aged 40 and above, to visit healthcare centres for screening.
Myths and misconceptions about prostate cancer and screening procedures were addressed and clarified, while the participants were also sensitised on the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and environmental hygiene as part of preventive measures.
The market leaders and shop owners commended the initiative and requested more of such health education sessions in the future.
Feedback from the outreach indicated that several of the participants admitted that they have little or no prior knowledge of prostate cancer or its symptoms and welcomed the idea of regular screening.
The participant’s feedback also reflected increased awareness and a renewed commitment to seeking regular health checks, maintaining personal hygiene, and sharing the information received with friends and family members.