BWS and Enugu Sports Club champion prostate screening awareness, urging men to undergo regular PSA tests for early detection and improved survival outcomes.
Prostate screening took centre stage in Enugu on Monday as Body Without Spot (BWS), a leading Nigerian non-governmental organisation in cancer prevention advocacy, charged men to adopt regular Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)-based screening as a proactive measure to reduce mortality from prostate cancer.
The Founder and Convener of BWS, Emeritus Prof. Ifeoma Okoye, delivered the message during a special awareness soirée organised in partnership with the Enugu Sports Club, one of Nigeria’s oldest and most prestigious social institutions founded in 1929. The event attracted an influential audience comprising professionals, community leaders, policymakers and senior members of the Club, an audience Prof. Okoye described as critical to shaping healthier norms among men in the South-East.
In her keynote address, Prof. Okoye expressed concern over the high prevalence of prostate cancer among men of African descent. She noted that Nigerian men remain particularly vulnerable due to a mix of biological predisposition, limited public awareness, and cultural tendencies that encourage silence even when symptoms appear.
“Prostate cancer is one of the leading cancers in men of African descent, including Nigerian men, who are at higher risk,” she said.
Medical experts often describe the prostate as a small walnut-shaped gland located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. The gland surrounds the urethra and plays a critical role in male reproductive health by producing prostatic fluid, a protective and nourishing component of semen.
Yet despite its importance, Prof. Okoye noted that many men know very little about the prostate, let alone its associated diseases. She said that while the PSA blood test remains a simple and accessible screening tool, men often delay or completely avoid it, a practice that pushes many diagnoses to late stages.
She lamented that “in spite of campaign against the disease, many men were still being diagnosed late – not because there was no test, but because there was an awareness gap and a culture of silence.”
The consequences of late presentation, she stressed, are devastating.
“By the time they arrive in hospital, treatment becomes complex, expensive and survival is poorer. Choosing not to screen has become a deadly decision and this is what BWS has come to confront,” she said.
Positioning the event as a strategic intervention, Prof. Okoye explained that the partnership with Enugu Sports Club was intentional.
“This soirée is our pilot flagship in the South-East. We have deliberately brought it to Enugu Sports Club because this club gathers the men whose decisions shape our region in business, politics, faith, culture and family life,” she said.
The BWS founder, a respected radiologist with decades of global and national involvement in cancer research, explained that the organisation – which began in 2008 as Breast Without Spot – has evolved into a broader health advocacy platform focused on cancer prevention, early detection, and community education. She acknowledged partners in government and the academic world, as well as the organisation’s longstanding international research collaborators from Stanford, Morehouse, Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins and others.
Painting a vision for the region, she said:
“Imagine we have a South-East where men from 40 upward know their PSA the way they know their blood pressure. Let us also be known as the people who refused to keep quiet while our men died silently of a preventable, treatable disease. One man can influence a thousand.”
Experts reinforce the message
Reinforcing her call, medical specialists from the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) provided deeper clinical perspectives.
Dr. Okezie Mbadiwe, a urologist, noted the basic but often ignored fact that every man has a prostate, and its health is central to male sexual and reproductive performance. “Every man has prostate as part of his sexual organ, adding that without prostate, they would not perform optimally,” he said.
Fellow UNTH urologist, Dr. Chinweuba Odimba, provided a detailed list of symptoms that may suggest prostate enlargement or cancer. He identified frequent urination (especially at night), weak or interrupted urine flow, difficulty starting or stopping urination, pain or burning during urination, and the feeling of incomplete bladder emptying as key red flags.
Dr. Odimba cautioned that many prostate cancer cases remain asymptomatic in the early stages, making screening indispensable. “So, most times, the early stage may not present the symptoms. That is why we encourage screening so that when you get screened, you can prevent progression of the disease through early treatment,” he said.
“When presented early with proper evaluation, the diagnosis can be better,” he added.
Supporting these views, Consultant Clinical Oncologist Dr. Vitalis Okwor urged men aged 40 to 50 to take the PSA test seriously. He recommended undergoing the test at least once or twice yearly to ensure timely detection.
Leadership voices add weight to the campaign
The former Minister of Power and chairman of the event, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, praised the initiative and underscored the need for a cultural shift among men.
He said: “I want to thank Body Without Spot and Enugu Sports Club for this inspired partnership, and to thank each of you for honouring this invitation.”
Enugu State Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, also linked the programme to the broader healthcare vision of the Enugu State Government under Governor Peter Mbah. He affirmed the administration’s commitment to work with organisations like BWS to advance public health education while advocating reductions in screening and treatment costs.
He reiterated the state government’s determination “to work with organisations like BWS and others to improve the health of the people,” stressing the need for more affordable access to prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Enugu Sports Club pledges support
In his remarks, Chairman of Enugu Sports Club, Mr. Ifeanyi Nweke, pledged continued collaboration with BWS and encouraged government authorities to lower the costs associated with prostate cancer care. His message reflected the Club’s long tradition as a community hub where social influence, civic responsibility and public health concerns intersect.
He called on authorities “to reduce the cost of prostate cancer treatment to give more people access.”
A milestone event for men’s health in the South-East
The BWS-Enugu Sports Club soirée marks a significant turning point in regional men’s health advocacy, not only because it elevates conversations around prostate cancer, but because it brings influential male demographics face-to-face with medical facts often ignored. With BWS planning expanded engagements across South-East states, the programme signals a future in which prostate screening becomes routine, stigma is dismantled, and survival rates improve dramatically.
As Prof. Okoye’s message echoed through the historic halls of the Club, it was clear that the organisation’s mission is not merely medical – it is cultural. And if one man can indeed influence a thousand, then gatherings such as this could shape the health consciousness of an entire region.
Visit GMTNewsng for more news.
