In a significant effort to improve healthcare accessibility, ResQ Health has launched an initiative to provide free breast cancer screenings for 500 women across Nigeria.
This initiative was officially launched in partnership with Marigold Hospital in Surulere, Lagos, where over 60 women participated in screenings on the very first day.
Coinciding with World Radiography Day, the campaign aims to raise awareness about the importance of early cancer detection and is themed “Promoting the Profession.”
Bayo Oke, the Founder and Managing Director of ResQ Health Africa, highlighted alarming statistics regarding breast cancer prevalence in Nigeria.
He noted that breast cancer accounts for 18.1% of all cancer-related deaths in the country, which has one of the world’s highest age-standardized mortality rates for this disease—and the highest rate in Africa.
Oke explained that this initiative is part of ResQ Health’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts to support women, especially those in vulnerable communities.
“Early detection is key to preventing breast cancer fatalities,” Oke emphasized.
“Breast cancer is much more treatable when caught early before it spreads. That’s why we’re offering free mammograms to 500 women across different communities to raise awareness and make screenings accessible to those who need them.”
One of the key challenges Oke highlighted is the financial barrier many women face in accessing breast cancer screenings. The typical cost of a mammogram in Nigeria is around ₦30,000, which is out of reach for many women, especially those in low-income communities.
“We are working to make these screenings available at no cost, and we are committed to sustaining this effort across various communities in the long term,” he said.
“Radiographers are essential to modern healthcare,” Oke explained. “About 80% of hospital patients require some form of imaging, with costs ranging from ₦6,000 to ₦40,000 for basic x-rays, and specialized imaging can cost up to ₦80,000. Yet, these services are not commonly available at primary healthcare centres, which drives up the cost of healthcare overall.”
Oke also expressed concern about the ongoing brain drain in Nigeria’s healthcare sector, attributing it to low wages, difficult working conditions, and a lack of infrastructure. He pointed out that Nigerian doctors are among the lowest paid in Africa, which often results in insecurity and low morale within the healthcare workforce.
“Nigerian doctors are facing an incredibly challenging environment with insufficient pay and resources, while healthcare technology remains expensive due to unfavourable exchange rates. In contrast, doctors around the world are highly respected, well-compensated, and have access to better resources. Nigeria must urgently address the need for fair working conditions and improve healthcare infrastructure to avoid an impending crisis,” he said.