By Hannatu Suleiman Abba
Kano, Nigeria – It just began as a small lump that became the longest nightmare of her life. 32 years old Maryam Muhammad Abdullahi recalled that, she noticed a lump when she was eight months pregnant. Her nurse husband didn’t think it was serious at the time due to their medical background. But still decided to visit the clinic for proper check-ups.
“Arriving at the clinic after a checkup, the doctor quickly jumped to conclusions, saying that it was just a pregnancy-related lump, and I tried to accept the explanation. I became restless, filled with doubt that refused to leave my imagination.”
After giving birth, Maryam noticed the lump kept growing and decided to revisit another hospital for a second opinion. With many clinical tests, Maryam was diagnosed with stage two invasive ductal carcinoma, which required urgent intervention, and with no second alternative, her breast was removed instantly,” she said.
According to Maryam, the journey was rough and challenging. “I underwent six rounds of chemotherapy, 16 sessions of radiotherapy in Lagos, and a full year of targeted therapy with Herceptin injections.” Currently, she is under hormonal treatment with Tamoxifen, which will continue for five years.
“In my tough time, I often reflect on how many women have lost their lives due to late detection, and I could have been one of them, she emphasised.” Maryam’s experience became a pivotal moment in her life that led her to take action and focus on creating awareness about the disease.
Fighting Breast Cancer Myths
In Nigeria, breast cancer is still not perceived as just a medical issue — myths, stigma, and a dangerous lack of awareness surround it. In many communities, especially in rural areas, people believe that only older women can get breast cancer. Others blame it on witchcraft, curses, or spiritual punishment. Some even think it cannot be treated medically at all.
These deep-seated misconceptions have led to devastating consequences: late diagnoses, increased mortality, and many women suffering in silence because they fear shame or believe treatment is hopeless.
Maryam, a trained nurse and passionate youth advocate, saw these challenges up close. But rather than stay silent, she chose to act. She understood that access to accurate information could be a matter of life or death, and she was determined to change the narrative.
“My voice was loud from my comfort zone,” she shared. “I started with a campaign to challenge the myths and stigma surrounding breast cancer, especially in rural areas where healthcare is limited and information is scarce.”
Maryam began her awareness campaign by going directly into communities from local markets to schools, speaking with women and girls about the importance of early detection, self-examination, and seeking professional medical advice. She shared simple, practical tips and explained that breast cancer is treatable, especially when caught early.
She didn’t stop there. Despite her initial fear of social media, Maryam pushed herself to go digital, creating content, joining conversations, and building a supportive space online for women to learn, ask questions, and feel seen.
“I realized the government can’t do this alone,” she said. “There’s a growing number of women being diagnosed, and they need more than statistics; they need human support, guidance, and hope.”
Through rural outreach, online education, and in-person workshops, Maryam has reached hundreds of women, helping many take the first step toward screening or speaking up about their symptoms. She also works to provide emotional support for breast cancer patients, connecting them with resources and encouraging them not to give up.
Her work is reshaping the way communities talk about breast cancer, replacing fear and myths with knowledge, empathy, and action.
A Blooming Movement
The success of Maryam’s campaign became a golden milestone not just for her but for countless women whose lives have been touched by her work. What began as a quiet effort quickly became a national movement, with ripples felt across communities.
In The Takai Local Government Area of Kano State, an outreach campaign organized in partnership with Anatomia Healthcare Ltd and KALAMED left a lasting impact. During one of the sessions, an older woman stood up and shared her heartbreaking story: she had lost three of her married daughters to breast cancer, all due to late detection. Moved by what she had learned, the woman vowed to take the message further, pledging to lead awareness efforts throughout her community to reach those who couldn’t attend.
I saw how attentively the women and local leaders listened during the outreach. I could feel their concern through their expressions and questions, it was overwhelming,” Maryam recalled.
The campaign also extended its reach beyond borders through social media. Sumayya Muhammad Kabara, a journalist based in Saudi Arabia, followed Maryam’s page to stay updated on breast cancer awareness tips, which she later included in her broadcast programmes for wider education.
At home, the message continued to spread. Bilkisu Mai Iyali, a mother of five and a teacher at a government girls’ school, expressed deep appreciation for the awareness drive spearheaded by the Kano Ladies Mentors and Mentees Dialogue (KALAMED). She was particularly moved by the focus on early detection and how accessible the information was for everyday women.
In one particularly striking story, a 16-year-old girl discovered a lump in her breast after attending one of Maryam’s awareness events. She had learned to perform a self-examination after hearing Maryam share her journey. A medical check later confirmed early-stage breast cancer, a diagnosis that might have gone unnoticed without the campaign. Thanks to early intervention, her chances of recovery dramatically increased.
“There are so many of these stories,” Maryam shared. “They’re more than just numbers; they show that change is possible when people are informed. We’re seeing a shift in perception and behaviour, and it’s incredibly powerful.”
Through collaborations with influential health organizations including the Nigerian Medical Women’s Association, Anatomia Healthcare Education Ltd, and telemedicine platform KALAMED — Maryam has positioned herself as a leading voice in grassroots breast cancer advocacy.
Despite receiving no formal funding, her impact has not gone unnoticed. Maryam was honoured with a symbolic award in her community, recognizing her selfless commitment. Today, she receives five daily calls from young girls and women seeking information, support, or someone to talk to.
Maryam nourished her efforts quickly, and the result bloomed across the country. In the Takai Local Government Area in Kano state, where an awareness campaign outreach was organized by Anatomia Healthcare Ltd and KALAMED, an older woman, moved by the session, shared her painful story of losing three daughters to breast cancer, all diagnosed too late. She pledged to lead community-wide awareness efforts, determined that others would not share her fate.
Dr. Maryam Nasir Aliyu, a cancer researcher and founder of Anatomia Healthcare Education, says the campaign was inspired by a disturbing trend: increasing numbers of breast cancer cases presenting at late stages, particularly in Northern Nigeria.
“Years of data and fieldwork showed us a huge gap in early screening. At one point, there wasn’t a single functional mammogram service in Kano,” she said.
Anatomia has since pioneered a smartphone-accessible breast cancer screening tool using fingerprint technology. This innovation makes screening more affordable and accessible, especially in underserved areas.
According to data from Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, confirmed breast cancer cases fell from 577 (2016–2020) to 283 (2022–2025), a development attributed to increased awareness and earlier interventions.
Systemic Challenges Remain
Despite progress, Nigeria continues to face significant hurdles in the fight against breast cancer. Late presentation due to low awareness and stigma, Poor health infrastructure, Shortage of trained professionals and Chronic underfunding.
In 2024, the Federal Government allocated ₦200 million to the Cancer Health Fund (CHF), but the 2025 budget proposal slashes that to ₦150 million. Cancer advocates, including the Cancer Society of Nigeria, have called for at least ₦1 billion in annual funding to meet rising treatment demands.
Although breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among Nigerian women, it still receives a relatively small portion of the national health budget. The government’s long-standing pledge to allocate 15% of the national budget to healthcare made in the 2001 Abuja Declaration remains unmet, mainly, with actual spending hovering around 4.7%.
State-Level Efforts and Infrastructure
In Kano State, efforts to tackle the disease received a boost with the construction of the Professor Hafsat Ganduje Cancer Centre, named after the governor’s wife. Commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari in February 2023, the centre aims to improve access to cancer treatment in the region.
Maryam and other health advocates urge the government and civil society to do more.
“We’ve come a long way, but still have so much to do. We need basic breast cancer training for frontline health workers, better funding, and more collaboration to reach every corner of Nigeria,” she said.
Her message is simple but urgent: early detection saves lives, and no woman should have to navigate breast cancer alone or in silence.
