Somto BisinaPolaris Bank has taken another step towards reducing the incidence of breast cancer in Nigeria by commencing its fourth phase of breast cancer screening for its staff and customers.
The screening exercise is aimed at increasing awareness, advocacy, and support, which will go a long way in reducing the incidence of breast cancer in the country.
According to the Group Head of Strategic Brand Management at Polaris Bank, Nduneche Ezurike, the bank is committed to partnering with relevant public-spirited Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) like Care Organization Public Enlightenment (COPE), Societal Healthcare Organization (SHO), and Marcel Ruth Cancer Centre to reduce the scourge of breast cancer among women in Nigeria.
The screening exercise, which commenced in April and will hold once every month, is open to interested female staff and customers of Polaris Bank.
The screening exercise is in partnership with COPE and holds at the NGO’s Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos office. Mr. Ezurike reiterated that healthcare is one of the pillars of Polaris Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He further stated that the bank has covered five key milestones in partnership with NGOs, namely awareness, advocacy, capacity-building, prevention, and treatment.
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The bank has so far screened over 22,000 women, donated three ultra-modern breast cancer screening machines, sponsored the treatment of over 30 indigent cancer patients, and organized/partnered on a 10-km/6-km walk with over 3,100 participants to draw public attention to the breast cancer scourge.
The President of COPE, Mrs. Ebunola Anozie, commended Polaris Bank for its support, care, and encouragement towards the fight against breast cancer in Nigeria. Mrs. Anozie also noted that the bank has been a strong partner behind their initiatives for nearly 20 years.
Apart from its breast cancer screening exercise, Polaris Bank has several other initiatives aimed at improving the well-being of women in Nigeria.
In 2021, the bank organized a 3-day intensive capacity-building workshop in Northern Nigeria on life-saving skills for 50 community midwives and health extension workers, randomly selected from 80 percent public and 20 percent private hospitals in Kano State in partnership with SHO.
Furthermore, in addressing social issues affecting women and the most vulnerable groups in Northern Nigeria, Polaris Bank worked with a northern-based NGO and women-focused group, Sisters-Keepers Initiative, to organize a conference in Kano to exchange ideas on child neglect, physical abuse, domestic violence, illiteracy, street begging, and child labour.
Polaris Bank has received several awards, including the Digital Bank of the Year in 2021 and 2022 by BusinessDay Newspaper’s Banking and Finance Industry Awards (BAFI). The bank has also been recognized by other institutions as Nigeria’s best digital bank, such as Nigeria FinTech Awards, among others.
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