Access Bank’s retail banking team has kicked off its second fibroid awareness campaign across the country in its bid to intervene in women’s health challenges.
The campaign under its corporate social responsibility, Project 111, is expected to run through July, beginning with a webinar to raise awareness on fibroid.
This year, Chizoma Okoli, deputy managing director, Retail reiterating the bank’s commitment to a responsibility that extends beyond banking, said the initiative will target 100,000 women, providing 500 women with free diagnostic tests, and aiding 100 women in need of surgeries this year.
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“We are dedicated to the well-being of our customers and communities. This campaign is a testament to our commitment to supporting women’s health and ensuring they have the information and resources they need to lead healthy lives,” she said.
“Project 111 was officially launched in 2022 when we provided more than 100 free fibroid surgeries in five geopolitical zones to directly touch over 4,000 lives while creating a ripple effect of positive change with over 16,000 impacted lives.”
Fibroids are benign growths that can be extremely large and cause substantial discomfort, including bright red vaginal bleeding, constipation, bloating, and severe pelvic and low back pain that interferes with women’s daily functioning and child-bearing capability.
The initiative comes on the heels of the general lack of awareness on the part of women as highlighted in key statistics that 70 to 80 percent of women will develop fibroid at some point in their lifetime but only 38 percent were aware of the available treatment.
These statistics emphasize the importance of Project 111, which focuses on creating awareness and support for women who struggle with the issues around fibroid and its effects.
The team has created a dedicated website, https://www.accessbankplc.com/sustainable-banking/csr which provides articles on fibroids, information on partner hospitals, as well as up-to-date information for individuals about the initiative.
Njideka Esomeju, group head, Access Bank’s Consumer Banking said: “We will be having free fibroid screenings and community health talk across 20 states. We will also have a webinar to listen and address women affected with fibroids and other related health issues”.
When the initiative launched in 2022, the awareness and education campaign reached 17,266 women across 33 countries, with 156 women given access to proper diagnosis, assessment, and treatment recommendations.
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