For many women in Nigeria, preventive healthcare is often postponed, not because of lack of awareness, but because of cost, distance and competing responsibilities.
That gap is the focus of this year’s W Health Month, the eighth edition of Access Bank’s annual programme, which is offering free preventive health screenings to women across the country.
Through its W Initiative and Access Women Network, the Bank is providing eligible women with access to one free screening of their choice, including a fibroid scan, pap smear or breast scan, at 24 participating Beacon Health diagnostic locations across Nigeria.
The initiative, held every October to promote cancer awareness, is designed to reduce barriers to preventive healthcare and encourage early detection of conditions that can affect women’s wellbeing and quality of life.
Speaking on the initiative, group head, Women Banking, Access Bank, Nene Kunle-Ogunlusi, said women’s health needs are often overlooked as they prioritise the wellbeing of others.
“Women play vital roles in their families, workplaces and communities, yet their health needs are often overlooked as they prioritize the wellbeing of others. Through W Health Month, we want to encourage women to take proactive steps towards protecting their health by making preventive screenings more accessible,” she said.
She added that by encouraging women to bring someone along, the programme hopes to promote a culture of early detection, shared responsibility and informed health decisions.
The bank stated that women who register another woman and attend their screenings together will also receive bonus health checks, including a free blood sugar test or malaria test, with medications provided for malaria where applicable, in addition to their selected primary screening.
In addition to the free screenings, Access Bank said it is offering eligible women access to health financing of up to N10 million to help cover the cost of eligible medical procedures including fertility treatments, fibroid surgeries, braces/medical aesthetics, cancer treatments and more.
