The Bricon Foundation has distributed breast prostheses and mastectomy bras valued at N50 million to approximately 600 breast cancer survivors in Lagos.
The donation was unveiled as part of the foundation’s 10th-anniversary celebrations, targeting women who have undergone mastectomies and require specialised support garments for their recovery.
The intervention comes at a time when the escalating costs of cancer treatment and post-operative care have placed severe financial pressure on many Nigerian households, often making rehabilitative aids unaffordable for the average patient.
The foundation provided the intervention as part of its 10th anniversary milestones, focusing on the psychological and physical restoration of survivors. Mastectomy bras and prostheses are essential for women who have lost one or both breasts to cancer, helping to restore body symmetry and improve self-esteem during the reintegration process into social and professional life.
Breast cancer rehabilitation and financial barriers in Nigeria
Breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent cancers among women in Nigeria. While medical attention often focuses on the surgical removal of tumours and chemotherapy, the rehabilitative phase—including the procurement of prostheses—is frequently overlooked or left to the patient’s private funding.
Specialised mastectomy bras and high-quality prostheses are typically imported, making them susceptible to foreign exchange fluctuations and high import costs. For many survivors, the cost of these items is prohibitive, especially after spending significant resources on life-saving surgeries and oncology medications.
Medical experts note that the absence of these aids can lead to chronic shoulder pain, postural imbalances, and deep psychological distress, including depression and social withdrawal. By providing these items free of charge, the Bricon Foundation aims to mitigate these secondary effects of the disease.
The Lagos-based distribution effort reflects a growing trend of private philanthropic interventions filling gaps in the public healthcare system. In Nigeria, comprehensive health insurance schemes rarely cover the cost of prosthetics or specialised post-cancer apparel, leaving a significant portion of the survivor population without necessary support.
The foundation’s milestone anniversary marks a decade of health-focused interventions, though the scale of the need across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones continues to outpace available funding. This current exercise in Lagos serves as a model for potential expansions to other urban centres where cancer registries show high incidence rates.
The success of the distribution now depends on the coordination between the foundation and local oncology centres to ensure the prostheses are fitted correctly to the individual needs of the 600 beneficiaries.
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