The Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku, Awka, has announced a one-week free cancer screening programme aimed at improving early detection and encouraging preventive healthcare among residents of Anambra State.
The medical outreach is scheduled to begin on Monday, July 27, and continue until Friday, July 31, 2026, offering free cervical cancer screening (Pap smear), mammography for breast cancer detection, and prostate cancer screening for eligible participants.
Hospital authorities said the initiative coincides with the birthdays of Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, and the First Lady, Dr. Mrs. Nonye Soludo, and is intended to support ongoing efforts to promote healthy living and disease prevention across the state.
According to the programme schedule, women aged 25 to 65 years will have access to free cervical cancer screening through Pap smear tests, while women aged 40 years and above will receive free mammography services for the early detection of breast cancer. In addition, 200 men aged 50 years and above will benefit from complimentary prostate cancer screening.
The screening exercise will commence daily at 8:00 a.m. and will take place at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) and the Department of Radiography at COOUTH, Amaku, Awka.
Speaking on the initiative, the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Dr. Maureen Uche Umeakuewulu, said the programme reflects the institution’s commitment to preventive healthcare while recognising the efforts of the state government in strengthening healthcare delivery.
She noted that the First Lady’s Healthy Living Initiative has encouraged greater public awareness of healthy lifestyles, preventive healthcare and routine medical screening, while the state government has continued to invest in improving access to quality healthcare services.
Dr. Umeakuewulu explained that the hospital chose the week of the Governor’s and First Lady’s birthdays to organise the outreach as a way of supporting initiatives that encourage residents to prioritise their health through regular screening.
She stressed that early diagnosis remains one of the most effective tools in reducing deaths associated with cervical, breast and prostate cancers, adding that identifying the diseases at an early stage significantly improves treatment outcomes and survival rates.
The Chief Medical Director encouraged eligible women and men across Anambra State to take advantage of the free screening programme, emphasising that routine cancer screening is an important part of preventive healthcare and can help detect life-threatening conditions before symptoms develop.
Health experts continue to advise regular cancer screening for individuals within recommended age groups, noting that early detection remains critical in improving recovery and reducing the burden of cancer-related illnesses.
